Rogue Hound
by Emma1897
Summary: What happens when a hellhound decides she doesn't want to kill? What happens when she meets Tony Stark? What happens when she becomes best friends with the Archangel Gabriel? Chaos, That's what.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Marvel or Supernatural or Percy Jackson**

 **I feel like this story calls for a warning: This is crazy. It started out as a simple Avengers fic, then I added Supernatural. Then I went 'What the Hell' and added Percy Jackson. I even imply Harry Potter. It was written purely for the laughs.**

 **Co-Authored by NightmareHunter676**

What is it with people throwing away their lives?! People will sell their soul for anything! I've dragged down people who wanted Money, Love, a couple more inches, The cure to some disease they have. Hello! It's all pointless! You can't take money with you to hell! Also, for all of those you made a deal to get rid of your own life threatening disease, you just chose hell ten years from now versus Heaven today! I think you made the perfectly wrong choice!

"Sic 'em, boy!" Lilith calls out to me. Why do I have to listen to this bitch? Oh, yeah! That's right! She's forcing me to work for her. Could the stupid demon at least bother to realize that I am a girl? Crowley, for goodness' (evilness?) sake has the common courtesy to remember his hellhounds' gender! Just because the rest of my kind are stupid doesn't mean I'm stupid! I roll my eyes at her, as she pushes the salt out of my way.

I attack the man whose number's up. Bleh! Most Hounds love the taste of human, but me? Ever since I ate a burger this one man dropped, it has been all I've craved. One question though...Who eats a burger when they know they are about to die? Eh, to be fair it was in a burger shop. I pull the soul out from the man's chest and drag it down into hell. You would be surprised how much you can learn about someone by having their soul in your mouth.

This one gave his soul to revive his brother, and only took a year in return. I kind of feel bad for the guy, he is a righteous man. Alastair is not going to be kind to him. He is also Michael's vessel? Nope. I do not envy him at all. Well, with all of this happening that means the apocalypse is just around the corner. I wonder how many people will make deals for safety during the chaos. To make sure their loved ones stay safe.

The thought of how many more souls I will have to drag down makes me want to puke. I hate dragging people down. Why are you looking at me like that? So what, I'm a Hellhound that doesn't like to see people hurt. If Vampires can hate killing people then so can I! If my life wasn't being threatened I would just quit...Why can't I just quit? If Lilith finds me she will most likely kill me, but so what? So would a hunter eventually, if I keep dragging people down. They seem to make more deals than regular people do. One of them will get me eventually. That's it, I am going to quit! I've hated this job for awhile anyway.

I leave this man's soul on the rack. The guy is awake, "Don't say yes to Alastair! Give me time and I will send help!" I tell the man. I have no idea who he is, but I know if he says yes and starts torturing people down here, the apocalypse will start and the entire world will go to hell. (There has to be a better phrase for that.) I bound right back up to the surface. I am supposed to be stalking my next soul, they won't notice I am gone for another few days.

So I decide to do something even more stupid, I pray. "Hey, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, God, and any angel that will listen! I know it is weird getting prayed to by a Hellhound but I need to warn you. I was just ordered to drag down a man, only after did I discover he is Michael's vessel. I think Lilith is planning on using him to break the first seal. If you don't believe me, whatever, just don't say I didn't warn you!"

So I wasn't exactly polite, it's not what I am known for. I then travel the world. Bouncing from city to city, town to town, immediately running whenever I smelled even a hint of a demon, Hellhound, or demon deal. I know I most likely have Lilith on my trail, so it's best not to tempt fate. After the first month I learned how to take a human form. Apparently, if I was born a human I would be a brunette with red eyes. That has scared quite a few people.

Some HellHounds, very few, are blessed with a gift the others don't have. Actually, it's just a couple generations of us, the first two. In the beginning we were made from the fires of hell, so we could control the fire. Then some of my idiotic siblings started bonding with ordinary mutts. The half breeds still came and worked for hell, they just lost the fire gift and any semblance of intelligence my siblings ever had.

I'm from the second generation, pure breed, thank god...We really should find better phrases for these things. Anyway, I have the control over fire. I haven't used it in awhile though. How old am I this year? I lost count, hell kind of screws up your sense of time, I think it's in the six millions… I'll figure it out one day. All I know is that I'm old enough to have dragged King Uther Pendragon into hell. How do you think he got the first dragon sword? You need to get one to kill one but you need to kill one to get one!

I continue to travel. I became a hunter, and in my opinion a good one. Burning bones is really simple when you can control fire. Wendigos are also really simple, I just light them up. Most monsters out there are weak to silver, I'm one of the lucky ones with iron. I don't have to use iron very often, so I don't have to worry about the enemy using my own weapon against me.

I am attracted to one town because the attacks are absolutely bizarre. As far as I could tell there was no pattern to the victims and they all died in different ways. All of them extremely poetic. Animal abuser gets attacked by some sort of animal. The town's local prankster is currently in a psych ward, claiming he was nearly killed by a clown. I am able to tell what it is the moment I get into town. Archangels have a very noticeable energy signature.

I had planned on turning right around. If an archangel wants to kill people then let 'em. Second generation HellHounds may be powerful, but I got nothing on Archangels. My plan is thrown right out the window when said Archangel suddenly shows up in the passenger seat of the car I stole. "You're a long way from home." The man drawls, popping a skittle into his mouth.

I shrug my shoulders, shaking off the fact an Archangel just appeared out of nowhere- weirder things have happened in the past several centuries, "So are you- Archangels don't really come down here very often anymore." I point out. For a guy that can smite me in a second, he is really laid back. "I haven't been upstairs in years. Trickster is a much more entertaining job than messenger." He shrugs, finishing off his bag of skittles.

"Gabriel, huh?" I ask. Gabriel is the only Archangel that is known for carrying messages. "I prefer Loki. Now tell me, why aren't you dragging people down to hell? Hell Hounds aren't known for living alongside the humans." He counters.

You know, this is probably the most entertaining conversation I've had in years. Lilith isn't the type for Pleasant conversations. It's more like 'do this', 'now do that', 'did I say you could take a break?' "Like you, I didn't like the job. So, I quit." I respond, keeping my eyes on the road. I need to find a place to stay and then find another hunt. "You're that Hound that prayed to all of us a couple weeks ago! The apocalypse is nigh!" Gabriel exclaims when he realizes it, using an over dramatic tone to describe my message.

I roll my eyes, "I got red in my ledger. I want to wipe it out. Not like you care, I just found you killing innocent people." I say bitterly. "I wouldn't say they're innocent people, I went after them because they were all dicks." He defends. I nod half heartedly… If he says so.

"So why does a hell puppy want to help?" He asks, snapping up some gummy bears. No I do not want to ask for a gummy bear. I do not want to ask for a gummy bear. I let out a sigh, "I'm one of the first 'Hell Puppies', I've been alive for quite awhile, nothing on you but- Awhile. I dragged King George III into hell, I've watched as humanity evolved. I've gotten tired of also watching them throw everything away for stupid things like money or love." I explain. "Also, can I have a gummy bear?" Dammit.

Gabriel whistles, "That's too sentimental for me! You do realize by doing this demons will be trying to kill you right? Of course you do, you've worked with them for most of your existence." Gabe asks, handing me a gummy bear. I shrug my shoulders, "It's killed by demons for doing the right thing or killed by hunters for dragging people down. My life is a lose-lose scenario, no way out, but it doesn't hurt to try." I point out. There is also that little complication...

Gabriel goes silent for a second, he then snaps his fingers again and a random string of numbers pops into my head, 202-555-0111. "There, call me if you ever need any help, or you just want to make your day a bit more awesome." He says. "Why would you want to help me?" I ask confused: I'm a hell hound, the last thing an Archangel would want to be even in the same room with.

"Because I want to out of the goodness of my heart. Well, not entirely. A little while ago I ran into some hunters. The same one that you dragged down not too long ago, actually. I trapped the one not going to hell in an alternate reality. A Groundhog-day style time loop where he had to watch his brother die every single day. It was supposed to teach him that trying to stop his brother from going to hell was impossible, but the moose never gave up." Gabe explains.

"Two things; One, that is an incredibly mean way of teaching someone a lesson, Two, what does this have to do with why you want to help me?" I say. The Angel/God to my right grumbles under his breath before continuing, "No way out, but it doesn't hurt to try... I may or may not have developed a soft spot for that particular hunter and you remind me of him." He responds. An angel with a soft spot for a hunter, well, you don't see that everyday.

For a trickster, he is acting pretty serious, "Now! Miss. I-want-to-help-people-even-though-it-isn't-my-job. You really want to do the impossible and make it up for dragging people into hell?" He asks, regaining the sass I expected him to have. "Yup."

"Then why don't you drag this one guy _out_ of his hell." He says cryptically. With another snap of his fingers I am no longer in 'my' car driving through Montana. I am tumbling down the side of a sand dune. It doesn't hurt, but the unexpected transition pulls a high-pitched sound from my lungs that I am not exactly proud of.

I roll to a stop, Where the hell did Gabriel send me? There has to be better ways to say that. _Gabriel! A little warning would be nice next time!_ I shout in my mind, knowing that he can hear me. I stand up and look around at where I am. This entire valley is in between sand dunes. So I am in some sort of desert.

The valley is also filled to the brim with weapons, missiles, guns, bombs, you name it, it is here. On the side of each and every crate is one word- Stark. So I am in a military base in a desert. The men around me all have their guns pointed at me, yelling in an unknown language.

I never bothered to learn most languages, most demons speak English. "Ah...I don't understand...English?" I say putting my hands up, trying to get them not to shoot. Guns aren't going to hurt me, but bullet proof women tend to get people's attention. I am not going to just light them on fire either.

Why would Gabriel send me here? 'Drag this one guy _out_ of his hell.' So is there someone being held captive here? Being tortured for something? If that's true I can't just turn around and leave, not saving someone is the same thing as being the one to hurt them.

A man steps in front of everybody else, speaking English, rather clumsy English but English all the same. "Who are you? Why are you here?" He asks. "My name is Candace, as for why I am here, I don't know where 'here' is." I respond keeping my hands up.

I take another brief glance around, I may not be a genius level IQ, but I'm not stupid, like my nieces and nephews. Stark is an _American_ weapons manufacturer, these uniforms are not American, They are either terrorists or thieves. And Stark Industries has a traitor selling weapons to people that shouldn't have them.

"Well, unfortunately for you dear, now that you have seen this place, you have to die." The man says drawing his weapon. Within half a second I drop down to the ground and use my powers to cause six of the men around me to spontaneously combust into flames. Not the cleanest way to kill someone but, it works. It takes longer to kill demons, I guess humans are just super fragile. I was going for all of them! Why did I only get six?!

It must be because I haven't used my fire in forever, it's gotten weaker from under use. I bounce up to try again and a single shot hangs in the air. The bullet goes straight into my shoulder and starts to burn through my skin. Why does his gun fire Iron bullets?! Iron bullets haven't been around since the cannon went out of style!

While I am shocked from being shot the man who spoke English hits me upside the head with a crowbar, unfortunately made of iron. I am not knocked out but it certainly knocked me down and immobilized me for a second.

While I am down he handcuffs me. What is it with them and having iron freakin everything?! The man drags me into a cave, through various tunnels and doors. "What happened to killing me, huh?" I ask sassily. That's what I do- if something gets too serious for me, sass and sarcasm.

He literally throws me through another door, he shouts something in whatever language that is and closes the iron door behind him. Great, an Iron door, that is going to be fun. I roll over trying to keep pressure off of my shoulder.

"What did he say?" A voice ask behind me, I shift so I can see what is going on, there are two men, one of them has a car battery attached to his chest. What? I carefully rub my eyes and look again, yup this man has a car battery attached to his chest.

"He wants us to find a way to control her." The other man said, the one without the battery. Oh, so he basically wants these two humans to find a way to do something demons could not, Lilith tried but still wasn't able to keep me on a leash. Dream big I guess. "Why would he want to control some random chick?" Battery asks. I clumsily get to my feet. "You could, I don't know, ask her?" I say, wobbling over to the table where they are building...something.

They just then notice I've been shot. "You okay?" No battery asks. "I'm absolutely wonderful! It's not like I have a bullet in my arm and I'm allergic to iron! Who even makes Iron bullets? I thought they were all made of copper." I say with as much sass as possible. Okay, so allergic may not have been the right term, more like Iron disintegrates my being, but close enough.

Battery looks kind of sheepish, "Iron is a heavier metal, so while it would drastically decrease the range, it would increase the penetration. I only made one case of bullets though." He says, moving to look at the wound. Oh, so he is a decent person, just hides it under miles upon miles of sass, sarcasm and 'I don't give a shit.'

"Would you mind pulling the darn thing out?!" I ask. No Battery steps forward with a pair of iron pliers. "Oh, you have to be kidding me! Iron actually burns my skin!" I complain, letting him adjust to that he can easily reach the wound.

He lets the pliers touch my skin and instantly understands what I meant. The iron left a burn mark where it touched me. "If iron burns your skin, and you have a iron bullet in your shoulder..." Battery trails off.

"Yeah, I know, and it hurts like hell, just get it out!" I say mentally preparing for what is to come. Battery holds my shoulder still while no-Battery plunges the pliers of agonizing pain into the bullet wound. I really should learn their names.

After a couple of seconds he is able to pull the bullet out. Battery let's go of my arm, "You didn't even whimper, wince or… anything." He says shocked. I just shrug my shoulder, ignoring the pain that is already starting to fade. "I've been to hell and back, this isn't the worst I've gone through." I say. The worst I've gone through would be a tie between Lilith in a bad mood and those decades I spent in purgatory. Hell hounds are hated by other monsters just as much as they are by hunters. Actually, both of them are practically the same thing.

Battery breaks my handcuffs "Now you going to tell me your names or am I going to keep referring to you two as Battery and No Battery in my head?" I ask sarcastically, ripping a piece of my jeans with my claws and taping it to my shoulder with some duct tape they have lying around.

"I'm Tony Stark, you may have heard of me, the devilishly handsome, unbelievably charming multi-billionaire?" Battery says. Well, he isn't prideful at all, is he? Devilishly handsome is quite a stretch- Grandad comes to you in the form of the person you desire most. "I've heard of you, but most people refer to you as the Egotistical Jerk." I shoot right back, I knew I recognized him from somewhere though.

"And you?" I ask, turning towards no Battery. "Yinsen." He responds, holding his hand out to me. I shake his hand with a smile, "Nice to meet you Yinsen, I'm Candace Armina." I say. Stark shakes off his shock before getting back to business, "Want to tell us why these guys want us to find a way to 'control' you?" He asks, finger quoting the word control.

I shrug my shoulders, can't hurt to tell the truth. I hold one hand in front of me and let a single flame dance across my palm, "I'm guessing it is because I made a mistake and let them see my abilities. Now they want to control me so they have a fireproof woman on their side." I say, closing my fist, effectively putting out the fire.

"Yup, being locked in this room for so long has started to make me go crazy!" Stark says, holding his head in his hands. I just shrug my shoulders, it's probably best for them to believe they are just going crazy. It's better than telling them Ghost, Demons, and Hell Hounds exist. If they ask I'm going to tell them the truth though, if I am trying to redeem myself for dragging souls into hell, lying is the worst way to go about it.

Yinsen doesn't look that shocked I can control fire, more curious than anything else. "How did you get these powers?" He asks. "I was born with them." I respond. Well, I'm not lying. "Are you a mutant?" Oh, he isn't going to stop is he? "No, I'm not a mutant."

"Then what are you?" Well, there is no way out of this one. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you..." I say, trying to convince him not to push any further. Knowing Hell and Heaven exist doesn't exactly ease the mind.

"Try me."

I let out a long sigh, "I'm a Hell Hound."


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own MARVEL or Supernatural.**

 **Again, I would like to warn people, this story is crazy. I don't know where half of our ideas came from. It's filled with stolen ostriches and craziness. Please don't send us to a psych ward for this, we know we are crazy.**

 **Co-authored by NightmareHunter676**

Stark blinks once, twice, then bursts out laughing. "Yep, I'm going mad. You're saying, like Cerberus? Hades' three-headed mutt?" I shrug off the insult. I am not fond of the word 'mutt'.

"Yeah, I've met Cerberus. My uncle is actually pretty cool. And yes, very similar. Only I drag people down to hell- Cerberus doesn't do that, he's Hell's guard dog. Well, I did. My side of the family is in charge of dragging people down." I respond.

Yinsen doesn't laugh. Doesn't back away in horror. Well that's different. Normally when you tell someone you came from hell they either scream or try to put you in a mental asylum. Tony leans forward, two inches away from my face, "You're crazy." There  
it is!

"...Which one of us is about to die?" Yinsen asks out of the blue. "Which one of you sold your soul recently?" I shoot back. Their blank stares are the only response I need. "Nobody. I'm supposed to be here to get you out, truly. An archangel sent me  
here- one minute I'm driving in Montana, next, I'm rolling down a sand dune in hell-only-knows where." Not to mention I kind of quit.

"You're in Afghanistan. The group holding us captive is called the Ten Rings, and they want Tony here to build a missile called the Jericho." Yinsen informs me. "I'll take it so far he's refused?" I mutter.

"You do realize _he's_ in the room that we are all locked in? Yeah, I haven't exactly cooperated, and they haven't exactly been pleased with me. What time is it now?" Tony's face falls. "Umm, just about 2 in the afternoon. Why?"

"You might wanna sit against the wall. And 5,4,3,2-" The bolt in the door slides over and the door creaks open ominously. I feel the blood drain from my face when I see the Ten Rings' leader and a few henchmen enter. Scrambling back, I see the men reach  
for a bucket of water. They seize Stark and force his head under the water. It's obvious they're trying to force him to build the missile. Flames spark under my hands, turning the sand I'm sitting on into glass. I am beyond pissed right now. Honestly  
I would rather drag these fuckers down to hell, and face the wrath of Lilith, than watch them torture this man. Why do you think I always bolted right after I dropped souls off with Alastair? It's hard to watch people in pain… Especially when it should  
be me…

 _Gabriel or Loki or whatever you're called- what the fuck am I supposed to do!? Literally everything here is iron, they are torturing this man, who is injured by the way, and I don't know how I am supposed to get him_ _ **out**_ _if we are all held captive. He could die from those wounds just… give me a hint how do I do this_

When the bad guys leave, I stand up and make sure Tony's ok. Aside from potential complications that may lead to dry drowning, he's probably going to survive. "Has it really gotten to the point where you can time it?" I ask wryly. "Tony, don't answer  
that." Yinsen chuckles.

"We have to get out of here. This is honestly worse than purgatory. I was stuck there for fucking decades. Do you have any idea what that is like? Being thrown into a never ending battle? When a monster gets killed in monster heaven they pretty much just  
respawn somewhere else inside monster heaven. No sleep, little food, definitely no burgers… ugh." I shiver. Tony looks like he wants to argue, but one glare from Yinsen shuts him up.

 _ **Get Tony off the car battery first, then work on some sort of protection.**_ Gabriel/Loki tells me in my head.

I shatter the glass I inadvertently created and ask, "Can this be used for something? We need to get rid of that car battery, it's not gonna last much longer."

Tony's face lights up brighter than Archangel's grace. "Creating technology? I'm your guy. I have a design for an arc reactor that can power it. It would normally be made to power buildings or even cities, but if we make it small enough we can put it  
into my chest."

"Well, let's get started."

* * *

To be perfectly honest my contribution to this project was practically zero. Sorry, in Hound High they didn't really have a class about 'how to build a reactor to save someone's life in an Afghan cave.'

I helped where I could, doing things like making more glass. We used my fire power to make molding the metal go by a lot faster. I forced myself through the pain every time I had to work with iron. Why is that the only metal they have here? Why not steel?  
If they want to build a missile, steel would be a better choice anyway.

Everyday went by the same… They would throw us a single meal, Torture Tony at two o'clock, and I'd accidentally create more glass. The floor is almost glassed over now. Today before they left they asked how much progress the guys have towards controlling  
me. I have to hold back a laugh at that… That's just not happening.

When the door closes behind them I allow myself to laugh. "What's so funny? The Hell Puppy find it entertaining watching someone get tortured?" Tony asks coldly, still trying to catch his breath. My laughs immediately stop.

"I'm laughing because they believe that they have hope of controlling me….If demons couldn't, they definitely can't. And these guys are worse than demons." I respond seriously. Over the past week or so I've told them what happened to me the past month  
or so. Quitting Hell, being chased by _her_ , All that fun stuff. Tony took it pretty well, after he had a mental breakdown. The whole 'I was not ready to factor the supernatural into my worldview' thing.

You know, most people react differently when you tell them an Archangel sent someone here, to drag them out of hell. Speaking of Gabriel, ever since I asked for a gummy Bear I've been finding pack of the tasty gelatin mammals everywhere. I asked for _a_ gummy  
bear, not a life supply. Not that I'm complaining, I mean, it's better than the slop they try to feed us.

After another week we finally finish building the arc reactor. We put it into Tony's chest. Now I can call him lightbulb. I may not have ever studied robotics, but I pick things up pretty quickly. I understand maybe half of what they are saying. That  
is a huge step up from the nothing I understood last week.

"Okay, Yay! You're not going to die before we can get out of here. Just, one teeny tiny question, Nothing important. How the Hell are we getting out of here?!" I ask, quite annoyed with living in this little cave. I might have hated Hell, but at least  
it didn't make me feel claustrophobic.

"I don't know! Why don't you use you magic Hell powers to get us out of here!" Tony sasses. I take a minute to remind myself that not everyone knows the strengths and weaknesses of Hell Hounds. "Because...That door is made of Iron. I could melt it away  
but it would take a lot of time and nearly burn off my hands." I say as calmly as possible.

"Well, not every single wall is covered in iron!" Tony argues. "No, it's not. You're right. I'll just start trying to burn my way out of a mountain. And I will do it so quickly that they won't see it on the cameras." I retort, as sassily and sarcastically  
as possible.

A look of realization crosses over Tony's face. He probably feels kind of stupid right now. "Okay, so since we can't rely on _magic_ , why don't we use this?" Tony asks, putting down a blueprint of a metal suit. That's not going to attract any attention  
at all. I burst out laughing.

" _That's_ gonna get us outta here? First, how you gonna power it? I doubt that one tiny arc reactor has enough power. Second, are you fucking crazy? If we start this, we won't have long before they notice it. Third, what the fuck does this even  
do? Save your lazy ass from a bullet? If you're making that from IRON, for hell's sake, you ain't gonna be protected from shit! I mean, a shield, that's understandable. Line it with tempered glass, you'll live- barely. An entire suit? Good luck, buddy."

I shove my hands into my jacket pockets, which oddly enough haven't been shredded, and I feel a plastic package with something squishy in it. _Don't let it be a heart, please don't let it be a damn human heart._ I pull it out and inspect it- and,  
lo and behold, it's another package of gummy bears. _Damnit Loki…_ "Welp. Does anyone want _more_ gummy bears?" I ask.

* * *

Despite my reservations, Yinsen, Tony and I begin building this metal armour. The problem we had about little-to-no bullet-resistance was solved by tempering the iron with my fire. Not just that- I was able to cast smaller iron parts in the sand by lining  
the holes with glass. Yinsen also helped me get outside for a few minutes every few days. I was starting to go stir-crazy.

It doesn't take to long to get most of the major components finished. I'm still trying to figure out why Tony insisted on adding flamethrowers to the arms when they have me. Over the weeks in this tiny little cell Tony and I have gotten a bit closer.  
Still argue every hour or so. That is a huge step up from the beginning when we would argue every five minutes.

Most of our problems stemmed from our egos clashing and our pride not letting either of us admit it when we are wrong. Although it doesn't help that Tony is a massive playboy and I am the only female around for miles. Hell Hound or not. It's most likely  
because of this that Tony's conversations with me have become less argumentative and more flirty.

A little while after we calibrate the legs to move properly, the doors slam open with a bunch of men coming through. I put my hands to my head, trying hard not to roll my eyes. The armed goons all split letting another man through. The first thing I notice  
about him is that he is bald and has the classic comic book villain look.

"Relax." Oh, he even has that cliche villain accent that no one can ever actually place. "The bow and arrow once was the pinnacle of weapons technology. It allowed the great Genghis Khan to rule from the Atlantic to the Ukraine. An empire twice the size  
of Alexander the Great. And four times the size of the Roman empire." A history lesson? Oh, kill me now. I lived through this! I already know all of this stuff.

Now, you didn't hear this from me, but dear Alexander was actually a wussy. He screamed like a little girl when I had to come after him. I guess an invisible Hound coming after you is a bit terrifying.

"But today, whoever holds the latest Stark weapons, rules these lands." The unnamed cliche villain says, turning to Tony. "And soon it will be my turn." He then turns in my direction, "Along with the help of the girl on fire." That sounds like a book  
I've read recently. I could set him aflame right now, but with all the guards in the room, that's probably not wise. When have I ever been wise? I torch one of the guards closest to me, almost immediately turning him into ashes.

All of the guards left now act as one and open fire on me. Luckily, none of them have iron bullets. They all bounce off my skin like I'm some sort of bugs bunny cartoon. Too bad their leader is observant enough to know how to stop me, hence the iron dagger  
being held to my throat. I took down half of them, that is enough for now.

If he slices my throat I go to purgatory, _she_ brings me back out to exact vengeance for my betrayal. You know what, I take it all back. History lessons are fine. Please don't kill me. "How the fuck did you know I hate iron?" I growl. You know,  
I probably could have been more polite to the man about to kill me, but that's just not my style.

"I have eyes." That seems like the appropriate response. "Now, do you want to tell me why my missile isn't finished yet?" He growls at me. Not quite as literal as when I do it, but close enough. "Oh, we have been working so diligently." Again, sarcasm  
probably wasn't the best way to handle this.

The still unnamed man presses the dagger closer to my throat, causing that oh so familiar burning sensation. It's almost like iron is acid to Hounds. "I don't actually need you. Stark's weapons are more than enough to give me the world, so don't test  
me." Still not as intimidating as _her_.

Out of the corner of my eye I see that Yinsen is about to have a hot coal shoved into his mouth. I need to pay more attention to my surroundings. Tony then steps in, "Hey, hey, hey! I need them. They are good assistants." My hero! Note the sarcasm.

I roll my eyes at his show of stupidity. When people have guns to their heads and daggers to their throats, don't draw attention to yourself. Annoyed with this entire thing I do what I should have done in the first place. Return to my true form.

I allow my bones to snap and creak into different positions, my muscles to change shape. The sudden change causes Mr. cliche-villain to back away and drop his knife. Judging from the faces of well, everyone, my shifting is quite the grotesque sight. I  
don't immediately disappear when I finish shifting, Hounds can choose whether or not to be visible.

I never exactly looked at myself in the mirror like this but I know what other hounds look like. Red eyes with cat like pupils, black dagger-like teeth. The newer generations of Hound have rotten flesh clinging to their bones, side effect of the mixed  
DNA I guess. I'm just a skeleton of a ginormous hound. If I choose I can make myself appear to have regular fur, but that isn't as intimidating as a skeleton, with glowing red eyes and fire for organs.

The men and their leader all make a break for the door, closing it as quickly as they can behind them. The man, still don't know his name, shouts from the little peephole in the door. "You better have my missile complete by tomorrow!"

I burst out laughing, which sounds like a mix between a wolf howling and the clanking of bones together. Tony and Yinsen are looking at me with shock, opening and closing their mouths like fish. "S-so, This is what you actually look like?!" Tony asks,  
a little on edge. Yinsen, again, is showing no fear whatsoever, just pure curiosity.

"More or less. I'm normally invisible, unless you've made a deal of course." I respond with a grin. Fading away for just a moment before reappearing. Tony takes a minute to adjust and absorb this information.

"When you're not growling, glaring and demanding Death's presence, you look kinda cool. Like someone's pet named either Spike or Bones." Tony says after a minute. I loudly roll my eyes, "Death is a busy guy. The only reason he would be here is if I offered  
him a pizza." Not to mention the fact he can't appear on this plane until someone completes that one ritual.

"Death likes pizza?" Of course that is the only thing Tony would gather from that sentence. I sigh, a bit of fire coming out of my mouth as a result. "Did you not hear him? We have one day to build the missile before he comes back and kills one of us.  
And this time he will be armed to the teeth in Iron." I remind, trying to get Mr. I-Do-Whatever-I-Want to focus.

"Right...We got 24 hours to complete the suit. I need 24 and a half." Tony says, already getting to work. Well, I guess we better get moving.


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Marvel or Supernatural.**

 **Co-Authored by NightmareHunter676**

 **Tony's POV:**

When I said 24 and a half hours I was not taking into account Candace's magic fire powers. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around magic fire powers to begin with. Along with monsters and demons and everything else? Not exactly easy.

It's kinda hard to get used to the fact that this woman in front of me, isn't a woman at all. Sure she is female, but not a human female. She sure looks human- An average one at that. Average brunette hair, average height. Her skin tone, however, is anything but normal. It looks like a corpse tried to get a tan, if that makes any sense. Super pale with a tan? Hey, I'm making no sense whatsoever.

We all work diligently on completing the Mark-I. Not the most original name, I know, but it works. Candace actually helps out a lot more than I thought she would. At first she would only use her magic flames to bend the iron into the shape we needed it to be, but now she is helping us with the actual electronics. She is a fast learner- I'll give her that.

Yinsen is working just as diligently. Trying to get back to his family, no doubt. Eventually, about an hour before Mr. What's-His-Name promised to be back, we finish the Mark-I. "Umm, hey Stark?" Candace asks, "Once we break out of here, can I drag these bastards' souls down to hell?"

I raise an eyebrow, while I am not against it. "Aren't you trying to redeem yourself for doing just that?" I remind, putting everything together so that the suit is easier to put on. "And I thought they had to make a deal to go to hell?" I ask.

Her cheeks flush every so slightly, I almost missed it. "I am...but I didn't see a problem with ordering a hit on them. They may not die immediately but when they do, they will be dragged into the pit. My nieces and nephews may be stupid but they are extremely loyal to whoever ranks highest." She responds. "And family." She adds, almost as an afterthought.

I shrug my shoulders, "Why are you asking me? I want these suckers dead probably even more than you do." I respond. It's not like I could tell her what to do anyway. "Now come over here and help me put this on." I say gesturing towards the suit. "Right. Help you put on the _iron_ suit. Sure thing." What's her problem?

She does just that, only after about the first half of the suit has been put on do I realize why she was in such a sour mood. The skin on her hands is almost completely burnt, no, _Melted_ off. Iron, I had her work with iron. For a genius I can be really stupid, can't I? When we get out of here I will have to research Hellhounds and practically everything else I just learned is real.

"What are you doing?!" I nearly yell at her, if Iron would hurt her then she should have just refused to work with it. "My job...Getting you two out of here." She says, still helping me put the suit on, while Yinsen starts to work on uploading the last powering sequence.

"Your Job, is to drag people down into hell! F-11! Not nearly lose your hands helping me!" I continue to argue with her, shouting the keycodes at Yinsen at the same time. "Well I decided to change occupations! This one, Helping people, helping you? I actually like it." Candace screams back, buttoning up the last button.

Guards are now pounding at the door, asking something in whatever language that is. It sounds different than what the guards normally speak in. I am suprised when Candace shouts something back. She explains at my confused look, "Hungarian, we make a lot of deals there. Almost as many as Russia."

The men outside the door decide to come in, setting off the bomb we placed there. "Great, now every guard in this place is going to be coming here." Candace comments. She uses sarcasm a lot. "Is everything a joke to you, Candace?" I snap. "Oh, funny things are." She retorts.

I will have to remember that. It was a decent comeback. Yinsen mutters to himself before running out the door. "~Where are you going?!~" Candace and I chorus. "To get us some more time." To get yourself killed is more like it. "Stick to the plan!" I shout after him.

"I'll go get that idiot." Candace says before moving after him. Without even realizing it, I reach forward, grab her hand and yank her back, away from the doors. I glare at her, not to intimidate her (I couldn't if I tried), but to get her to understand my point.

"We stick to the plan! You go invisible girl, or wolf, and knock out the lights. We wait for them to come to us." I tell her. I can tell by the look in her eye she hates being ordered around but she sees my point and concedes. I release my hold on her and she immediately disappears. If it was any other time I would wish I could go invisible. Would have made highschool so much more enjoyable.

Within a couple seconds all of the lights shatter and the fire in the furnace goes out. Again, her powers are so cool. I never said that. About a dozen guards come barging into the cell that has served as our home for the past couple months. Half of them immediately catch on fire and burn to ashes. I take out the others. With this huge suit all it takes in one punch and they are knocked out. I'm pretty sure I snapped several of their necks.

Candace and I barrel through the tunnels. Candace keeps turning people into piles of ash and I keep breaking their necks. Behind us, If I didn't know any better I would say that there is a pack of wolves, howling, barking, snarling. Is that the sound of Candace's family dragging those men into hell? I suddenly really don't want to get on her folks' bad side. Seems like a Hellish place to be.

After we come around another corner I see a sight I really wish I hadn't. Yinsen, he is heavily injured. "Come on. We gotta go. Move with me. C'mon, we got a plan, we need to stick to it." I say, trying to pull him to his feet.

I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. I look just in time to see Candace become visible again. She lightly shakes her head, "I can see his reaper...He isn't going to make it." She says softly. No, no, no. There is always a way. "C'mon! You gotta get up buddy! This isn't in the plan!" I nearly beg. "This was always the plan, Stark." Yinsen wheezes.

What does he mean? "Come on, you're going to go see your family again." I push, trying to get him to keep fighting. "My family is dead… I'm going to see them now." No, no, no, no! I turn to Candace, "Is there something you can do? Anything you can do?" I ask.

She lightly shakes her head, "To help him in life, No..." She trails off. She isn't telling me everything. "And in death?" I push. She lets out a sigh, "Oh, I'm going to regret this." She says, closing her eyes. "Gabriel? Can you please ensure that Yinsen shares a Heaven with his family? I will owe you a favor." She says, almost like she is praying.

Exactly how bad is it to owe an Archangel a favor? The way she said it makes it sound like the worst thing ever. A single orange feather appears out of nowhere and floats down and lands on Yinsen's chest. The second it lands, Yinsen stops wheezing, his eyes becoming lifeless. Attached to the feather is a note. Did an Archangel just send her a message?

* * *

 _Dear Hell Puppy,_ Hey! That is my nickname for her.

 _While I am happy you have kept in contact, there is a reason I gave you my phone number! (_ Angels have cell phones?) _Whenever someone prays to me it give me a stupid headache! Next time you need help, CALL!_

 _Tootles~_

 _The Awesome Trickster Gabriel_

 _P.s. I am going to hold you to that. You now owe me a favor._

 _P.P.s. I hope you liked the gummy bears._

 _P.P.P.s. Don't die._

* * *

Rage fills my soul. Sure he wanted to die and got to see his family again. I'm still going to kill these motherfuckers for letting him die. For killing my friend. "Let's give 'em Hell." I say. I don't even have to look at Candace to know that she is grinning like a mad dog.

We charge through the rest of the men, barks and howls still coming from Candace's family. When we first charge out of the mountain the bright light almost blinds me. "The fuck is that? Hellfire?" I mutter. "That, dear Tony, is called 'sunlight'."

I was about to snap at her but was promptly cut off by bullets hitting the armor. Hundreds of them. It is a good thing Candace decided to re-enforce the suit. Regular iron would not be able to withstand this. Not that I would ever tell her that.

Good thing Candace is bulletproof, and I only made a couple boxes of iron bullets. After a couple moments the rain of bullets stops, most likely because they had to reload. "~My Turn.~" Candace and I say in unison. Almost immediately the entire valley is set on fire.

We walk and burn. Then I remember this entire valley is filled with explosives...Oops. I quickly grab Candace's hand and pull her towards me. "Ready to Fly?" I ask, preparing to turn on the rocket boots I had installed. "Are you?" She asks. Nope not at all. I asked her because she is the one that is going to be held in the air against an Iron suit. Next time I'll build it with something not Iron.

I turn on the boots and we launch in the air. The entire ride is a sequence of, Holy Shit that is Hot! Yay! We achieved lift off! Why is the ground getting closer? Shit, Shit, Shit! And then I hit head first into a sand dune. Luckily Candace jumped off beforehand and rolled when she landed. She is almost perfectly fine….Can Blunt force even hurt her? I doubt it.

She scrambles over and starts helping me out of the wreckage of the suit. This is the first time I've gotten a good look at her injuries. Her hands are red and raw, very likely to get infected. Patches of her skin is missing from where she was clinging onto the suit. She looks like she has been in a burning building.

And here she is….helping me out of the suit, hurting herself even more. When I finally get out of this destroyed piece of machinery Candace backs away and nearly collapses. "You okay?" I ask, using my hand to keep her steady.

She waves me off, "Yeah, I'm fine…" She pants. She doesn't look or sound fine. "...Let's just get as far away from here as possible. You're Tony Stark, I'm sure there are people looking for you." She says. Starting to slow down her breathing.

How is she so calm? We just escaped from captivity, survived a valley-sized bomb, and are now lost in the desert and she is still thinking rationally? I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that level of calm only comes with a lot of practice.

"How are you so calm?" I eventually ask, after walking for quite a ways. She lets out a sigh, "I've told you about _her_ right?" She asks suddenly. After a couple minutes, I remember. It took Yinsen and I fifteen minutes to convince her to say her name, Lilith, "She was your former employer down under." The pained laugh that comes from her throat nearly makes me want to cry. How can a laugh, of all things, sound so depressed?

"Employer is a nice way of putting it. I wasn't working for her by choice. She basically forced me to work for her, just because I was- am- the highest ranking hellhound. Fire isn't a common ability for us, the only reason I have it is because I am of the second generation."

Second generation? Wasn't the first during something, something B.C. "...How old are you?" I ask cautiously, fully expecting to be slapped. She just laughs, a bit lighter than before. "I honestly lost count. One month up here is Ten years down there." That probably sucks.

"All I can say for certain is the I was the one to drag Heracles down to hell." I blink at her once, twice. Then try to rub the sand out of my eyes. "You look barely Twenty-Five!" I exclaim. There is no way she is hundreds or thousands or millions of years old.

She shrugs her shoulders. "Hell Hounds are technically monsters and monsters technically can never die- fully die. We either go to Purgatory, Tartarus, Niflheim, Etc. Etc. Eventually some idiot opens the door and lets us all back out. Technically, since I will never fully die, I am still in my middle ages, or I could still be in the first portion of my life."

I absorb this information. "You talk about those places. Purgatory, Tarta-Whatever. Like you have been there…" I point out. Her shoulders sag. "Yeah, I have. All three..and I can't tell you which one is the worst. Purgatory, Tartarus and Niflheim are practically the same thing. An eternal battle ground where monsters die over and over again. You just have to face different monsters." She starts to explain.

"Purgatory you don't have to eat or drink to survive. Just make sure you aren't eaten by a Vampire, Werewolf, Shifter...or worse, a Leviathan." She visibly shudders at the word, I take it she has meet one of these things.

"In Tartarus you do have to eat and drink, you eat the monsters around you and for water, there are five rivers to chose from...The Styx, the Lethe, the Acheron, the Cocytus, and the Phlegethon. If you touch the Styx you experience unbelievable pain, the Lethe, instant amnesia, Acheron, you become very depressed and lose your will to survive. Cocytus is the river of lamentation; you mourn everyone and everything. And finally the only one you can risk drinking from...The Phlegethon. River of fire."

How does one drink from a river of fire? "It tastes how you would expect gasoline and oil would taste, mixed with awfulness. It doesn't matter if you are immune to fire, it burns going down. It doesn't even quench your thirst- increases it actually- but it will keep you alive. Then there are the monsters. Giants, Titans, Curses, Yes, there are monsters called the Curses. There are even gods of the underworld in there."

"Then there is Niflheim…..It is just basically another Hell. If you didn't die a heroic death then you go to Niflheim, nothing to it. Of course that includes all of the monsters who refuse to give up on fighting. It doesn't matter which one I go to. Hell Hounds are hated everywhere. We are often favored in life, so the other monsters make up for it in death. The moment I step foot in there I become target number one."

It all sounds horrible. Of course she then has to keep talking. "When ever I did anything against _her_ orders, be it as big as running away or as small as taking a break, She would shove me into one of the three for a decade. The worst part is you can't get away…You can only get out of there, If someone lets you…"

By now she is visibly shaking, memories washing over her in waves. I place a hand on her shoulder, even though I know her pride won't let her accept the comfort. She just ran away from Lilith, didn't she? Lilith forces her to drag people down, she decided to do something different and save people. The very second she goes back to Hell she is going to be put through, well, Hell. "Do you have a place to go?" I ask, softly.

She breaks out of whatever flashback she was having and turns to me. "No, I'm pretty much just going wherever the wind takes me… Helping people wherever I can." She responds. She just risked her life to help me. I can at least offer her a place to stay. She just dragged me out of my own personal Hell, I cannot immediately throw her back into hers.

"Why don't you stay with me? Beach front property, pool, everything you could ever need. Plus, no demons live nearby. It's candyland." I prompt talking in that weird voice salespeople do during commercials. I can see she is tempted. Very tempted actually.

"You're not going to freak out if I draw symbols on your walls?" Candace asks suddenly. I think about it for a second. "Would it still work if you drew them on the back of paintings?" I ask, I don't need my entire house looking like some devil worship shrine. "Yes." "Then I am fine with it."

"On the bottom of all of your rugs?" "Don't care."

"If I salt the windows?" "...Would you put the salt in a tube and place it above the windows, like in the curtain rod. Like a giant pixie stick but with salt?" "...Why did no one ever think of that?"

"What if I have you get a tattoo?" "What sort of Tattoo?" "An anti-possession symbol." "How big would it need to be?" "I've seen ones smaller than a quarter work." "Sure. I've always wanted a reason for a tattoo anyway."

She narrows her eyes at me, before holding out her hand. "Nice to meetcha, roomie." Yay! I convinced a Hell Hound to live with me. "Does this mean I have a pet Hell Hound?! I'm gonna name her Skulls." I should have seen that punch coming… But, damn she can throw a punch!

We walk for what seems like forever, Candace bringing up random things she might do if I let her live with me. "There are going to be times when I suddenly just vanish in the night because I found a ghost a few states over." "Send me a text and I won't panic."

"There are going to be nights that I come home covered in blood…" "I can just replace any floors that you stain, just try not to scare Pepper." I respond with a sigh, "Who's Pepper?" She asks, suddenly. I guess I never told her. "My assistant, usually hangs around the house. You _could_ consider her a special other."

Candace looks at me for a second, "So, you flirt with her endlessly and she just ignores all of your advances." She declares. My silence must have answered her question for her. "She either has a boyfriend she hasn't told you about, is a lesbian, doesn't want to be that girl who is dating her boss, doesn't want to be _just_ a one night stand like all of your other flings… Or… Or! She just isn't into you."

"That's impossible...Who wouldn't be into this?" I ask, trying to ignore how dry my mouth is becoming the longer we are out here. At what point do people start walking in circles? "Straight guys, homosexual girls, childr-" "Okay, I get it!"

It's like she is trying to be as annoying as possible. If this keeps up I might just retract my statement about her coming to live with me…...Oh! "Do you not want to come live with me or something?" I ask, interrupting her humming of 'Eye of the Tiger'. At least she likes good music. "Do you want to get punched in the face again?" I shake my head no, slowly. "Nice to clear that up. Anyway, what kind of music do you like?" She asks, giving me the 'don't talk about that again' look. "ACDC, Black Sabbath, Survivor, oh and Zeppelin."

"I think we will get along just fine…" She announces.

How is it that I went from sleeping with every girl with a heartbeat, to a cave, to finding a roommate in the desert? How did I go from a normal life (for a billionaire) to this? It's just not natural. "One could say it's supernatural…" Candace says. I blink at her. "You were thinking out loud."

After another hour, I think it was an hour, of back and forth banter with the Hot-as-hell dog, a helicopter passes overhead. An American one! Candace and I don't even bother walking over to the chopper, we just allow ourselves to collapse right then and there.

Rhodey comes up to me…Oh, I never thought I would miss that ugly mug. "How was the fun-vee? Next time, you ride with me, okay?" He says, helping me up. That is when he notices Candace, who is nearly passed out from the burns and excessive walking.

"Who is that?" He asks. I see all of the army men pointing their guns at her, not knowing if she is a threat. She is going to be if you fire any of those guns, they aren't going to do jack squat against the bulletproof woman. She is just going to be pissed off. She tends to light things on fire when that happens. "A fellow captive- she helped me escape. Be careful, she's injured quite a bit."

I keep an eye on the soldiers as they gently move her into the Copter and treat some of the many wounds on her. I nearly had a heart attack when they tried to use salt water to disinfect the wounds. "Stop!" Thinking of the first excuse that popped into my head, "She has severe allergic reactions to high levels of sodium." Well, technically it's true... I think. Or was that Ghosts? Oh, well better safe than sorry. If I'm wrong, then, oh well. I don't think she can get infected anyway.

"Tony, let's get you two back to the states. Let's go home."


	4. Chapter 4

**This is around the time that everything starts getting absolutely crazy. I have no idea how me or my Co-Author, NightmareHunter676, got these ideas.**

 **We do not own anything except for Candace and the idea.**

I wake up slowly, which is a comfort compared to not sleeping at all. The first thing I noticed when I woke up is that I am airborne. In Zeus's domain. That's not good… he hasn't exactly been happy with me ever since I dragged his son into hell. I really hope he is over that now that Hercules is out and currently a god. Well, the Copter is still in the sky so I guess we're good? There is no lightning… no severe wind… I guess he stopped holding a grudge. Perhaps I should send him a 'thanks for not killing me' card. Where would I find that? Hallmark. Definitely Hallmark.

Once my eyes open fully, I see Tony lying on a stretcher beside me. I'm not gonna bother him, he deserves to sleep. Not to mention, he looks adorable when he is asleep…..I didn't say nothing. I glance around and notice I am surrounded by army men. From one military camp to another I guess. Considering the fact none of them have guns to my head I am going to say that this one is going to be a lot more enjoyable.

"What's your name?" Someone asks me, I look in the direction of the voice to see an African American soldier with a mustache and beard a lot like Tony's. "Candace Armina. Sir." I respond, sitting up a bit, wincing as the bandages rub up against the burns the iron left me with. "No need to call me 'sir'. I'm Colonel Rhodes, but you can call me Rhodey."

Rhodey, huh. "It's nice to meet you… Where are we going?" I ask after a minute of silence. "We are going to a nearby airfield where Tony's private jet is waiting to take him back to the states. There, we will call a taxi that will take you anywhere you want to go." Rhodey tells me.

This is when Tony decides to reveal he has been awake for a couple minutes. "Actually bud… She is coming with me…" He starts sitting up, with just as much pain as I was in, and leans on my shoulder, more for support than anything else but it works with the scenario. "Rhodey… Meet my new roomie!" "I assure you, it's a vastly different situation than what you're thinking." I interject quickly.

Rhodey crosses his arms, "Then explain the situation." Glancing around I realized all of the other men are wearing those mufflers to filter out gunshots, they can't hear a word we are saying. "You sure you want the truth?" I ask. And with a single nod one more person in the world learned the truth about everything….Then he spent the entire ride having a panic attack. I really want to meet someone who doesn't panic after I tell them 'the truth is out there' speech.

[Page Break]

We finally arrive home after nearly half a day of flying. Rhodes finally stopped panicking, then demanded I tell him absolutely everything about how to defend from the Supernatural. After this I can guarantee you will have a silver pocket knife and some salt on him at all time. Next week he is probably going to have a new tattoo.

We get off of Tony's private plane and I immediately notice a red-head standing in front of a vehicle, along with a bodyguard. I happily walk up to her, "You must be Pepper Potts. It's nice to put a name to a face." Turning towards the driver, "And you must be Happy." I am not going to laugh at his name- that would be mean. I am not going to laugh at his name.

"Yes… And you are?" Pepper asks with an unsure smile. That is when Tony leans on my shoulder (again). "My new roomie!" and again I sigh, "The situation is not what you are speculating."

"You mean you didn't meet in the middle of the desert, he found out you didn't have a place to go and he decided to offer you a place because under all of that sass, sarcasm and 'I don't give a shit' he actually cares?" Pepper asks. "What tipped you off?" I respond. "No need to respond- that was rhetorical. No, you're actually not far off. I got captured maybe a month after Tony did and we managed to escape the bad guys together."

"Of course, there are a couple of details we will have to tell you in private…." Tony trails off. Great so he want two more people to know the truth. Well, I can't stop him. I think they deserve to know if I'm going to be living around them.

Pepper, Tony and I all pile into the car with Happy driving. "Where to, sir?" Happy asks. "Take us to the hospital please." Pepper asks before Tony cuts her off. "No." "No?! Tony, you need to go to the hospital." "I don't have to do anything."

Wow, they squabble like an old married couple. "Tony, what are you thinking?" I sigh. "You've been in captivity for two months, me for three. I know there is something we both want…" The look he is giving me is sending all sorts of weird signals. "...An American Cheeseburger."

That sounds absolutely amazing. "With bacon?" I ask rhetorically. "Is there any other way?" Tony returns. "The wrong way." "I knew I liked you for a reason." That is when Pepper snaps, "You have to be kidding me! You could have a concussion or brain damage," she turns to me- "You are half covered in burns and all either of you can think about is a Bacon Cheeseburger?!"

"No, all I can think about is an _American_ Cheeseburger, with bacon..." Tony starts, "...That stuff over there tastes like a corpse." I finish. Judging by the look on Tony's face he knows that I am being completely literal right now. "~Please just get my cheeseburger.~" We chorus.

"It's like there is two of you! I'm going to go insane…" Pepper says rubbing her head. "Well, Since you're already on the brink of insanity…" "...Why don't we go ahead and push you over." And thus began the process of explaining to Pepper and Happy that the monsters in the dark are real.

Through the shock of it all Pepper didn't even argue with Tony when he called for a press conference. What is he doing now?

[Page Break]

When we arrive at the conference hall someone hands us our cheeseburgers. After a single bite I don't know whether or not to be disappointed or happy. After two months I finally get another Cheeseburger, but they forgot the bacon. Tony doesn't even bother asking before he snatches the bacon-less burger out of my hands and turns to the guy who got us our food.

"What is this?" He asks confused."Uh… A burger, Sir?" The kid asks. "It's a bacon cheeseburger." Tony nods, "Notice anything missing from our bacon Cheeseburgers?" He asks, mockingly. I'm just glad there are no cameras right here. "Bacon?" Tony nods with a smile. "Can you fix this, quickly? Before the conference is over, okay?" Tony never raises his voice or even acts mad, yet the kid is terrified. I bet he is an intern that thought working for Tony Stark would be really cool.

Tony and I walk out into the conference room and cameras immediately go off. Oh great, Now the entire world will think I am Tony Stark's newest fling. I had intended to just stand with the crowd but Tony dragged me up to the mic with him. A bald man tried to start off this conference but Tony interrupts.

"Hey, would it be alright if everyone sat down? Will you sit down? That way you can see me, and I can… A little less formal…" Tony asks. I really wish I had a burger right now. "I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions that I would've asked him. I would've asked him how he felt about what his company did...if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts."

"Or maybe he was every inch of a man we all remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed...by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero-accountability."

Screw a burger, I need a glass of scotch… And a burger. All of the hands in the audience shoot up, members start asking questions. I don't even bother trying to decipher who is saying what. Tony randomly points to someone in the front row. "Two questions…"

"Well...you're only allowed one…" Tony mutters, too quiet for anyone but me to hear. "Who is she? And What happened over there?" I sigh and stand up to the microphone, "Sir, if you want to know about someone, ask them directly." I say glaring daggers into his soul.

"My name is Candace Armina. I met Tony Stark over there. I was made a captive about a month after he was. We became friends and helped each other escape. That is all I am going to tell you about myself because that is all you need to know. Now, because I know how the paparazzi work, I know that after this conference all of you will search for dirt on me or my family to try and sully Tony's name. You will do this by any means necessary, be it bribes or sleeping with someone. Yet you won't find anything. Not even a parking ticket. But I encourage you to try."

After my little speech I start walking away, "I'll be in the car." I say behind me, knowing Tony will hear me. These guys really annoyed me. I wasn't lying when I said they wouldn't find anything on me, I don't have a birth certificate or social security number, I am literally no one in this society. It is going to be fun watching all of the theories that pop up, especially since none of them will be even remotely true.

I plop down into the car. The little divider that separates Happy from us is up, so I can't tell if Happy is here or not. I really want that burger now, and the glass of scotch. "Well, I can't get you a burger..It would look kind of odd seeing as you currently have an unpaid intern going to get one for you… But I'm pretty sure Mr. Light Bulb keeps scotch under the seat."

Is that? Sure enough, when I look over Gabriel the Trickster is sitting beside me. How did I not notice him? "Probably because you were more focused on not burning everyone in the building alive." He says with a smirk, eating a snickers.

So he can read minds. "You got it." He says snapping a 'winner' ribbon onto my shirt… Tony luckily bought me an outfit that wasn't torn to shreds before we got here. Makes me look like a stripper though. "Well, I think it looks fabulous!" Gabriel announces. Yeah, that is not going to get annoying at all.

"I'm guessing there is no point is saying get out of my head?" I ask. "Eh, I can try. Casse toi."

"Oh? I'm starting to want you to make me." He smirks. "Want a gummy bear?" I sigh. "Last time I asked that, you gave me a two month supply. I'm good." And the stomach ache never went away. He raises an eyebrow, "And if I asked if you wanted a Bacon-Cheeseburger? Actually with bacon?"

What do I do here? Do I ask for a Burger and just tell the intern he was too slow so I got one myself? That's not believable. After a couple more moments of trying to convince myself a two month long supply of Bacon Cheeseburgers is a bad thing I decide to just get to the point.

"Why are you here?" I don't want a Cheeseburger that badly, I don't want a Cheeseburger that badly. "Oh? I can't just drop in to see my favorite puppy?" Gabriel asks. "Angels aren't known for doing something for the Hell of it." I point out. Gabe rolls his eyes, is he going to be upset if I call him Gabe?

"Nah, go ahead." _Stay out of my head._ "It is very contradictory to tell me that from inside your head!" He sings. "You're right, I am here for a reason, this time. I'm here to keep you updated on the Apocalypse both of us are trying to avoid. My little brothers and Sisters are currently laying siege to Hell to get the righteous man out. Too bad the first seal has already broken." Dammit!

Wait, I should have been able to sense the seal breaking...Why didn't I? "Probably because you were give the iron giant a hug at the time. Burning alive tends to distract people from what is going on." Gabe says, finishing up his Snickers and popping up a milky way.

"Sure you don't want a burger?" I really do...Why am I saying no again? Because he will keep giving me burgers? Why is that a bad thing again. I could always give the ones I don't eat to Tony…. _Yes, I want a burger._ "Nah a ha! I have to hear to give you it!" Gabe sings. "FINE. I want the fucking burger. Please can I have the fucking Bacon Cheeseburger?" I say, sucking up my pride.

He give me a smirk, snaps and with that he disappears, leaving behind the best Bacon Cheeseburger I have ever tasted behind. About halfway through the Bacon Cheeseburger Tony comes back, holding the bag of burgers the intern went to go get.

"I got the burgers! And the guy remembered bacon this time." He announces happily. Then he notices my face is stuffed already with the best burger on the planet. "How did- When did you- What?" He asks, checking to make sure none of them are missing from the bag.

I swallow the mouthful of burger and decide to tell the truth. "I asked Gabriel for a burger…" I say guiltily, taking another bite. I don't care if I look like some pig, It tastes good! "So now we are most likely going to be given a two month supply of Bacon Cheeseburgers…." Tony trails off. Pepper still looking shocked at the fact an Archangel was in the car. I nod once.

"I still don't know why you call the guy annoying. He gives you massive supplies of Candy and Burgers…." "You've never met him."

[Page Break]

Happy drives us to a remote place in Malibu. I honestly thought he was taking me to some farmhouse on the outskirts of town to kill me. Okay, that is a little dramatic, but that's what it felt like for a minute! Imagine my surprise when we pull up to this massive house, no, scratch that. Mansion.

Tony notices my face immediately, "Yeah, I know. It's small, I'm working on building a bigger place in New York though." "It's bigger than any other safe house I've been in, that's for fucking sure." I comment, walking into the house after Tony and Pepper.

Immediately after walking into the house I feel another consciousness. Almost like a soul, but different, slightly less emotions. "Welcome home Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts. It is a pleasure to meet you Ms. Candace Armina." A voice comes from the ceiling.

I would like to say that my centuries of battle training had me completely calm. Nope! Never, in my many many years on this earth have I encountered a talking ceiling. I am ashamed to admit it but I jumped about ten feet in the air.

Tony and Pepper start cracking up while I calm my heart rate. _**Oh… Did the little puppy get frightened?**_ A very annoying voice says from inside my head. _Stay out!_ I nearly bark. "My Apologies for frightening you, Miss Armina. I am J.A.R.V.I.S.- Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, designed by Mr. Stark." The AI says.

Well, that explains it. Somehow Tony figured out how to give a machine emotions, that's why it feels like there is another soul here… Souls are basically a Nuclear bomb of emotions. _**Nah, I don't think I will. I'm bored and you're entertaining.**_

 _Then at least Shut up!_ I tell him mentally before turning to Tony. "You couldn't have told me that sooner?" I ask, referring to JARVIS. He just innocently shrugs his shoulders, "It wouldn't have been as funny if I told you beforehand." _**He has a point.**_ "Shut up." I mutter.

 _ **Make me.**_ "Make me." I'm going to go insane! I sigh, before turning to Pepper, she isn't going to purposefully torture me, who looks confused. "There's an archangel in my head, and I can't get him out." She nods uncertainly. "Oh." "Tony, do you believe me now when I said Gabe is annoying?" _Go bother him, please. At least prove my point for me? Like, go sing Defying Gravity 20 times in a row. Go annoy him for a while!_ _ **Fine! But I'm coming back for you.**_ Tony looks dumbstruck at first, but when I start singing Defying Gravity and he hears Gabe sing along, he runs. Bolts up the stairs and probably to his room. "GODDAMNIT CANDACE GET HIM OUT! I TAKE IT BACK HE IS ANNOYING! PLEASE! CANDACE MAKE HIM STOP." I can hear him, even from where I'm standing, a floor below. Pepper starts cracking up, and I sing the ending riff in the song, leaving Tony to be tortured for 19 more renditions of it, as sung by the Neighborhood Trickster.

[Page break]

It's about 40 minutes later when Tony walks back downstairs, looking quite ridiculous. His hair is messed up, he's changed into slacks and an old band t-shirt, and he is covered in motor oil. _**Well, I think he liked it.**_ _Of course he did. "_ What did you build this time, Tony?" Pepper asks, still smiling. "Weapons disarmer- makes any explosive weapon immediately become inert. That's all." "I beg to differ, Sir." JARVIS speaks up, "That's not all you were doing." He (it?) pulls up a short video clip of Tony dancing and singing along to Gabriel. "What? No! No! I- ugh, JARVIS, delete that video."

"Cancel that order, J. Save the video and open a file called 'Tony's Blackmail'. I have a feeling Candace is gonna need it quite a bit." A voice says from behind me. _**Didja miss me?**_ _You were gone for maybe 3 minutes._ "Tony, Pepper, Happy, and JARVIS, meet Gabriel. Also known as the Trickster, or bearer of the best known bacon cheeseburgers." I introduce him to my new 'family'. "Hey. I know all you guys. I kinda saved Candace and Tony from starving in the Afghani desert by sending them a bunch of gummy bears, back when Tony was still attached to a car battery."

I can see Pepper getting that 'what did you do this time' expression. I've only known the woman for a day and she terrifies me because she can get shit done when she needs to. And right now, that 'shit she needs to get done' is yelling at Tony for having a car battery attached to his chest. "Tony… Might wanna run." I mutter. "Too late." Gabe smirks. We sit and watch as Pepper yells at Tony for risking his life unnecessarily. I think I ate two more bacon cheeseburgers during that time. Happy declined.

"J, please post the Defying Gravity clip on YouTube. I feel the need to ruin Tony's day." I smile, looking toward Gabe for approval. "Sounds good!" He says. Sweet. "Clip was posted. Anything else?" JARVIS asks. "Nope, that's all. Thanks, though!"

Yeah, I think that's enough pranking/life ruining for a day. After a little while longer Tony finally stops getting yelled at and Pepper calms down. I then turn to Gabriel, "So, why are you here this time?" I ask, my question getting Pepper and Tony's attention.

Gabe looks seriously offended, "Why do I have to have a reason to come see you?" He asks. Wait, didn't we already have this conversation? Like two hours ago? "Yea, we did, and I've also already told you this… I am bored… And you're entertaining." Gabe drawls with an annoyed sigh, I take it he doesn't like explaining things twice. "Nope!"

"Don't you have another person you could annoy? What about that hunter you're so fond of?" I ask, remembering that conversation we had in 'my' car before I got forcefully ejected from Montana. "Samoose? He isn't going to do anything interesting for another two weeks or so." He says, popping up another heavenly bacon Cheeseburger. This one has ketchup and mayonnaise, not just mayo, taste pretty good.

"You know, aren't you a little short for an Archangel?" Tony says. Does he have a death wish? _**Yes, Yes he does.**_ _Why are you speaking in my head if you are right here?_ _ **Why are you?**_ That is a good point. This is the first time I've actually noticed it- I'm a couple inches taller than Gabriel. And Tony is several inches shorter than me… For an Archangel he does seem kinda short.

Gabriel pretty much just shrugs off the comment, probably used to it. I continue munching on my Bacon Burger. Pepper is the one that breaks the awkward silence. "Tony, Why don't you go prepare the guest room for Candace. Candace and I can go and get her a new wardrobe since she doesn't have anything."

"That sounds like a good idea." I say, throwing the tin-foil wrapping to my burger in the trash. So I guess we are going shopping. I wonder if Gabriel is going to demand to come along. _**Of Course I'm coming.**_ This is going to be fun.


	5. Chapter 5

Have you ever gone shopping with an Archangel/Trickster? No, let me rephrase that, have you ever gone _underwear_ shopping with an Archangel/Trickster? Let me tell you...Not fun. I started out fine… great, even.

You know how every other corner in the mall has a chocolate shop? Every Time we would pass Pepper and I would get that, 'I want it, I need it' look in our eyes. After the fifth one we passed I asked Gabriel for some chocolate. He just snapped his fingers, give me a creepy smirk, and Pepper and I had a handful of chocolate.

It was when we actually started looking for clothes the Gabriel turned into my worst enemy. Every Time I tried on a Shirt or dress or anything, he would change to color of it to gold and orange and have some phrase on it that other people don't understand but drives me up a wall.

I refuse to walk around in a shirt that says, 'I love Gummy Bears' or 'Bacon is life'. Pepper laughed her way through most of the experience. Then we had to go get some undergarments...Gabriel tried some of them on! Then modeled them for us. I am trying so hard to delete that from my memory but every time I get close Gabriel will remind me of it.

So, needless to say, Gabriel is never allowed to come shopping we me ever again. _**Pshh… Like you can stop me! Besides, I'm a joy to be around!**_ When we finally get back to the house, Tony is waiting on the front step. Gabe disappeared a little after we were done shopping, he does however keep adding random messages into my head.

"I see the feathered annoyance is gone." Tony comments once we walk into the house. "Sorta." I say, lugging our dozens of shopping bags behind me. Gabriel helped pick out some of them, when he isn't pulling pranks he has pretty good taste in clothes.

"He still bouncing around in your head?" Tony asks, sympathetically. _**Of course!**_ "I don't think I need to answer that." I respond, dropping all of the bags onto the couch, Happy and Pepper are carrying even more. "Right, your room is the second to the left upstairs." Tony says pointing up to the staircase.

It takes me about three hours to get all of this new stuff into my room and put away. This is the first time I get a good look at the room that has become mine. The entire wall on one side is windows and computer screens combined into one that are currently predicting the weather.

The floors are carpeted in here and super soft. The bed is king sized, red comforter and black sheets. The headboard and furniture is all classy and black wood. There are two closets, one of them easy to access, the other a walk in closet. Then there is the attached bathroom. The tub is big enough for me to swim in it… not joking whatsoever.

You know how everyone has that dream of finding the bathtub they can be completely submerged in? This is it! The Shower is also large and luxurious. This is going to sound completely crazy, but I would be perfectly happy to live in this bathroom. Just sleep in the tub. Most dogs hate baths, but I'm not an ordinary dog. I'm a fucking hellhound. After the fires of hell, a bath is really nice.

Finished with admiring my room I go downstairs, Where Pepper is watching a video talking bad about Stark Id. "That's a weapons corporation that doesn't make weapons!" So that's what happened at the press conference.

Pepper turns off the video when Tony contacts her. "Pepper! How big are your hands?" What? I know Tony is crazy but..What? "Get down here I need you. And bring Candace." He tells her. What the Hell is going on?

We give each other a quick glance before heading down stairs. I actually don't even want to ask what is going on. When we get down there I see Tony holding a new Arc reactor. Oh, so he just wants to replace it to one that isn't made of scraps. Understandable.

"Show me, how big are your hands?" He asks. I roll my eyes and hold up my hands, Pepper doing the same. "Wow, they are small. Very Petite, indeed. Both of you." He says motioning for us to come over to where he is laying down connected to half a dozen machines all monitoring his heart rate.

"Let me guess...You encountered a problem and your hands won't fit into the socket?" I might not be an engineering genius but I'm a quick study and I helped build the thing. "Yeah, an exposed wire, causing a short circuit." That's not good.

"So, I need one of you to reach down there and gently lift the wire and not let it touch the sides, kind of like operation." He starts to explain. "~What's operation?~" Pepper and I chorus. "It's a game- forget it." He says, pulling out the previous arc reactor and putting it on the table beside him.

"Just gently reach in and lift the wire." Pepper starts reaching towards the cavity before pulling back, "You know, I don't think I am qualified to do this." _**If she keeps panicking she might mess up and kill 'em. Wouldn't want that to happen.**_ _You're not helping._

Tony then turns to me, "You feel like giving it a shot?" I hesitantly reach down to grab the wire, through the pus like substance, "Oh, there is pus." I comment conversationally. Like I am talking about the weather. I don't think they are ever going to realize nothing can gross me out anymore.

 _ **Don't mess up. Don't mess up. Don't mess up. If you mess up you could end up killing him. Oh, how much pressure must be on your shoulders.**_ _Now you are really not helping._ I find the wire after just a few seconds of searching and start to lift it out.

"Okay, now don't let it touch- OW!" Tony starts to explain but then I the wire starts slipping out of my hand so I adjusted making it hit the walls. Shit! His sudden jerking is not helping. "Just lay back and stay still." I growl, effectively getting him to stop moving.

 _ **Mmm...You should boss people around more often.**_ _Just Shut up!_ _ **Make me.**_ I push this pointless conversation to the back of my mind and focus on pulling the wire the rest of the way up without touching the walls. "What now?" I ask.

"Well, you can either pull it out, giving you twenty seconds to put in the new reactor before I flat line or we cut the wire most likely having to do go back and do something else later." Tony responds. Okay, I go ahead and yank it out.

 _ **You don't think you're jumping the gun a bit there?**_ _A temporary fix isn't fixing a problem at all. You're just running away for the moment._ I quickly grab the new reactor ignoring Pepper's panicking and all of the beeps going off. It takes me about five seconds to put the new reactor in. For the first couple seconds that the reactor is in Tony has a mini seizure. Most likely because this one is stronger than the last one. Had to get used to the difference in power.

I grab one of the many oil covered towels around here and start wiping my hands of the 'pus'. "Well, that was fun." I comment. _**You sound crazy.**_ _Pot, meet kettle._ They both just blink at me. Tony snaps out of it first. "Well, thanks for your help." He says getting up. I notice the old Reactor on the table. "What are we going to do with this?" I ask.

"Destroy it. Light it up. Let it burn." Tony says after a single look. I make a face, one that gets Tony's attention quickly. I hold up a single hand, that is still mostly covered in burns. "I worked too hard to build this contraption to just destroy it now." I say, glaring into his soul.

"Then you keep it, I don't need it." Tony says with a wave of his hand, getting back to work on whatever he was working on. Most likely a way to neutralize all of the weapons he has built over the years. I roll my eyes and head up stairs, "I'm going to demon proof your house now." I call behind me.

Pepper follows right behind me. "Any way I can help?" I think I scared them when I told them about the existence of monsters. I can even see Happy prepared to help. I shrug my shoulders and get out all of the supplies I got while we were at the mall.

It takes us awhile but eventually the house is completely warded. Symbols painted on the back of every painting, The salt pixie sticks Tony talked about, Demon traps at every entrance. Sure I can't go past any of the salt Pixie sticks, but why would I try to get out through the windows anyway?

I considered Angel proofing but, I don't think that would work on Archangels. _**Nope!**_ Plus, he would most likely become even more annoying every time I leave the house. _**Yup!**_ I have absolutely no privacy now do I? _**Hey! I'm respectful enough to keep out of your memories and leave while you're in the bathroom! That's more than can be said for my siblings!**_

I hate to admit he has a point. Pepper finishes drawing the last symbol. Tony is down stairs, I guess it is safe to ask this now. "Tony told me something that I want your side of the story." I start. "Expect 80% of it to be lies." She responds automatically.

I chuckle, "He told me you could be considered his significant other...But you don't seem to like him like that." I tell her, narrowing my eyes at her. It's too bad I can't read a soul unless they have made a deal or have been to hell before. She lets out a sigh.

"At first, Yes. I did have a crush on Tony, but then I worked for him for awhile and I realized that the guy can barely tie his own shoes, doesn't know how to cook for himself, doesn't know his own social security number. I feel more like his caregiver than an assistant. I don't think it's that much of a stretch to say I feel like his mom."

 _ **So, there is Zero competition for you here.**_ _What the Hell are you talking about?_ _ **Your overwhelming crush on Tony Stark. Duh…**_ _I think you were dropped on your head as a fledgeling._ _ **Not to mention all of that sexual attraction you have for me…**_ _No, Scratch that, I am Positive you were dropped on your head as a Fledgeling._ _ **Party pooper.**_

I push Gabriel's annoying voice to the back of my head and realize that it is Almost midnight. "I'm going to go to bed." I say, twisting all of the knots out of my back from working all day. "Good night." I head up the stairs and plop down into the bed.

Five seconds after my head hits the pillow I am out. But not before Gabe can get his two cents in, _**Good Night puppy!**_ Told Good Night by an Archangel, I guess I can cross that one off the bucket list.

xXx

I wake up the next morning feeling the most rested I have in years. This is actually the first time I have ever slept somewhere that wasn't the ground or a cheap motel mattress. I get out of bed when _I_ want to and take a nice long shower, getting into some clothes that aren't ripped.

I happily skip out of the bathroom feeling fresh and clean. I practically hop down the stairs. Looking at the clock I see that I slept in until around 10:30. That feels good. Tony walks down the stairs a little bit after me, dressed nicely in a suit.

"You going somewhere?" I ask. "Yeah, I was going to talk to Rhodey about Mark-II." Tony replies. So, we are actually going to perfect that design? "I'm in." I respond shrugging my shoulders. "Let me just grab some breakfast first."

I really should have expected the snap that resonated through the air and the Burger that appeared on the coffee table. Tony blinks at the apparating Burger, before dryly saying, "Apart from his personality I really don't understand why you hate the guy."

 _ **See! Tony likes me!**_ "You don't have him talking in your head whenever he gets bored." I respond grabbing the Burger and following Tony to the car. Happy isn't driving us this time. Tony decided to get one of his sports cars.

I get into the passenger seat and start eating my Burger, ignoring the fact that the instant the car turns on, 'Highway to Hell' comes blasting through the speakers. The first bite of the Bacon Cheeseburger sends me into a miniature depression. There is no Bacon.

 _Why isn't there any bacon?!_ _ **Admit that you like my company and I will give you the bacon back.**_ He purposefully left out the bacon to try and manipulate me. _You motherfucker._ _**Admit it. Or you get no bacon in that beautiful cheeseburger.**_ I am not that desperate. If I give in, then he really won't leave me alone.

But not having Bacon on this burger is like eating Nacho's without any Nacho Cheese. Like getting a pack of gummy bears and it not having any red ones, Like buying a pack of sour skittles but they aren't sour! It just isn't Natural! _**That is because you're dealing with the supernatural, hon.**_

 _Give me back my bacon!_ _ **Admit you like my company.**_ _I thought it was wrong to lie._ _ **Mhm...Your Burger is getting cold.**_ I physically deflate, I throw the biggest metaphorical rock I can find at my pride and begrudgingly admit. _Your sass does make the day more entertaining…_ _**Eh, I'll buy that. There's your pig carcass.**_ I look down at my burger and see that there is finally bacon in my cheeseburger. _If you put it that way I think I might go vegetarian._ _ **No you won't.**_ No I won't.

Within a couple more minutes Tony pulls up to a military base, just as I finish devouring my Bacon Cheeseburger. Tony and I get out and walk into the building where Rhodey is giving some sort of speech. "The future of air combat. Is it manned or unmanned? I tell you, in my experience, no unmanned aerial vehicle will ever trump a pilot's instinct, his insight - that ability to look into a situation beyond the obvious and discern its outcome. Or pilot's judgement."

"What about a pilot without the plane?" Tony interrupts. _**I hate to break it to you Lightbulb, but humans can't fly on their own. Weren't designed that way.**_ _Let the mortals dream would ya?_ "Look who fell outta the sky! Mr. Tony Stark." Rhodey announces.

"Speaking about manned or unmanned, you gotta get him to tell you about the time he guessed wrong. It's spring break, just remember that. Spring break 1987, that lovely lady, what was his name? Was it Ivan?" Tony tells the troops...I have no idea what he is talking about but I really want to hear this story. "Don't do that. They'll believe you." Rhodey begs Tony before turning to the troops. "Give us a couple minutes."

"It's nice to see you two again. Especially up and about so soon." Rhodey says. I take a quick glance at the pocket knifes on his belt. Yup, Silver and Iron. If this keeps up everyone Tony knows will end up prepped for demon invasion. It's probably a good thing that I didn't tell them Lucifer's seals are starting to break. _**Yup, two down already. Mr. Righteous will be out of hell in about a week.**_

"Rhodey, I'm working on something big. I came to talk to you. I want you to be part of it." Tony says getting straight to the point. "You're about to make a whole lotta people around here real happy, because that little stunt at the press conference, that was juicy." Rhodey says, happily.

"This is not for the military. I'm not... it's different." Tony objects. "What, are you humanitarian now or something?" Rhodey jokes. "I need you to listen to me." "No, what you need is time to get your mind right." Rhodey walks away, "It was nice seeing you Tony."

"How were you expecting that to go?" I ask sassily. "Better...I was expecting it to go better."


	6. Chapter 6

A little while later, Tony and I are back in the garage. "JARVIS you up?" Tony asks the room. "For you sir? Always." The AI responds. "I'd like you to open a new project file, Index as Mark 2." Tony tells the AI.

"Shall I store this on the Stark Industries' central database?" "I don't know who to trust right now. Till further notice, why don't we just keep everything on my private server." Tony responds. "But you can trust me? The Hell spawn?" I ask, shocked.

Tony shrugs his shoulders, "You helped me build the first one, saved my life, trusted me enough to accept when I offered you a safe house and...You're one of my best friends. I think it's only fair that I offer you the same." Tony says, all nonchalant. How can he be so casual?! 'She's killed people before? Worked for demons? Whatever, trust her completely!'

That fact that he offered me a safe house from _her_ of all things, was extraordinary. No one has ever really gone against _her_ before, except the Winchesters of course. To offer a Hellhound, something you should want dead, a place to stay. A roof over their head? Allow them to sit at his table? That never happens.

Then to call me a friend? Friends are hard to come by. Sure, Gabriel and I are sorta friends but that is more because he get's bored easily and I am entertaining to him. Demons used to view HellHounds as friends, but that was a long time ago. Before me siblings started breeding with ordinary wolves and their offspring became idiotic mutts.

It used to be that Hellhounds and demons worked as partners. Drag down the soul, completing the deal, in return you get to eat the body. Now, with all of my elders and siblings dead, the only Hounds left are me and the stupid ones. Demons no longer respect us. Friend's are impossible to get, yet here Tony goes...Calling me one of his Best Friends.

I don't think he realizes how much it means to me to be trusted. "Working on a secret project, are we, sir?" How the Hell did Tony create a curious AI? You know what, I'm just not going to overthink that. Tony pulls up the previous blueprints we used for Mark 1, but he then scraps about half of it. Not like I took us two months or anything.

"I don't want this winding up in the wrong hands. Maybe in mine it could actually do some good." Tony says. Oh, so we are going with plan I. We had this game back in the cave… Once we get out what are we going to do with our lives. Plan I was use the suit to help people.

I immediately mention the problems I found with the previous suit. "If we are going to do this, we need to work on the thrusters, more controlled flight, and can we _please_ use something other than Iron?"

"I was already planning on it… Steel does nothing to you right?" Tony replies. "Shoot me with a thousand bullets of it, won't even break skin." I respond. "Good. We'll start with the boots then work our way from there."

The next week or so is filled with making the boots. While I didn't do as much as I would have liked too, I helped significantly more than I did in the cave. I've said it before, I'm a quick study. Tell me how to do something once and I will most likely remember it.

Gabriel has left me mostly alone for the past week, leaving a burger here and there, still making random comments at odd times. Just not as much as normal. I guess he has left me to work. I will admit, without the trickster buzzing in my head it isn't as entertaining around here. Although it is funny watching Tony argue with Dum-E. How did the same person you made JARVIS also make Dum-E and Butterfingers? Forever a mystery.

Eventually we finish the boots. I currently have the camera and Dum-E has a fire extinguisher in case things go wrong. When do you think he will realize I could just put out the flames? _**Probably a while, he is isn't the brightest.**_ _Well, in the common sense department._ _ **Did ya miss me?**_ _As much as I hate to admit it...Yes._

I can practically feel the grin coming from him. "Okay, let's do this… We are going to start off nice and easy, raising 10% thrust capacity to achieve lift." Tony announces, I keep the camera trained on him, Why are we recording this? "And, 3 2 1."

The instant he hits the hand controls we made for the booster he is rocketed up and hits his head on the ceiling. I tried, I really did. _**No you didn't.**_ But I couldn't stop myself from laughing and immediately saving the video to the blackmail folder Gabe made for me. _**Told you it would come in handy.**_

I don't see any reaper so I assume he is just going to have a bad headache. I help Tony up and he shakes his head lightly. "You okay?" I ask, I'm not a doctor, but I have a general idea about what to look for with concussions. He seems fine. _**Still has a nasty case of idiocy and an ugly face.**_

After making sure Tony hasn't sustained any brain injury (Other than what he already had), I bring up everything I learned from this test. "So, always start off on a low percentage and we need something to keep you balanced so you don't do anymore somersaults in the air."

Tony nods and starts heading towards the holograms to start designing flight stabilizers. After two steps I collapse to the ground, My senses being overwhelmed with different information. Different pictures flash before my eyes, an Angel, a man who looks very familiar and a hundred foot clearing. I don't know how long I was on the ground, but when the experience stops I see Tony right by my side, trying to figure out what the Hell is going on.

"What the Hell just happened?!" He demands, sounding like I just gave him a heart attack. I take a couple deep breaths to calm my fast beating heart. I stand up shakily and sit on the nearest table, "You know how I said I can 'sense' souls?" I ask, still catching my breath.

Tony hesitantly nods. "Well, after I drag a soul down I am sorta connected with them. It fades over time, but for the first couple months it remains strong. The last soul I dragged down was just pulled out of Hell by an Angel. Every single Hound out there would be able to feel that, it was just a bit stronger because I was the one to drag him down." I explain as simply as I can.

"This 'Connection' with the souls, any side effects?" Tony asks, sounding even more worried than before. I shake my head, "Nothing negative. That man being dragged out of Hell probably made it permanent but all it really is, is a giant GPS." I respond. I kind of wish I knew his name though. If in the back of my head I am going to instinctively know where he is I want to know more than the facts that he sold his soul to save his brother and that he is Michael's vessel. _**Dean. That douchebag's name is Dean Winchester.**_

Okay, that works. I stand up from where I was sitting, "Ready to build some flight stabilizers?" I ask chipperly, heading over to where Tony started on the designs. "Oh. No you don't!" Tony says, pulling me towards the couch he has down here. "You just passed out, you are going to rest!"

I roll my eyes at his attempts at telling me what to do, "And you just got rocket launched into the ceiling. If you're on your feet then so am I." I argue. Tony seems to have a mental battle with himself, knowing that I have a point. "Both of us take a ten minute break then." He proposes. I nod, Neither one of us is going to let the other get away with anything less. _**Aww! This is what the readers want to see! An overprotective couple. Along with my hilarious jokes.**_

[Page Break]

It takes us another day or so to build the base prototype for the flight stabilizers/Gloves. Tony has decided to wear the glove while we test it. That sounds like an Awesome idea, no chance of injury there at all! _**Your obvious sarcasm is obvious.**_

Pepper comes down the stairs as we are making the final adjustments. "I've been buzzing you two… Obadiah is upstairs." She tells us. "Great, we'll be right up." Tony replies barely paying attention to her. "Can we not tell Obadiah what I am? That secret has already been shared by quite a few people." I ask, double checking all of the adjustments I made.

"Sure, I don't think the old man's heart could take the news anyway." Tony agrees. Pepper takes a quick glance at the flight stabilizer, "I thought you said you were done making weapons." She comment, making it sound like a question.

"It isn't. This is a flight stabilizer. It's completely harmless." Tony responds, preparing to turn the thing on. The device turns on and immediately propels Tony backward and onto the ground from the sheer force of the propulsion. "I didn't expect that."

"Note to self, when dealing with this technology, always start on the lowest setting." I comment, putting the device back onto the stand so we can go over what went wrong later. _**On a side note, if Tony wants to get back into the weapons business, that is a pretty decent ray of death you got there.**_

Tony gets up off the ground, "Shall we?" He says, gesturing to the stairs. I don't know how he can just back so fast from a miniature explosion in his lab. I feel like he is accustomed to the chaos at this point, considering he creates half of it. Gabriel has been creating the other half.

 _ **And where do you fall into this?**_ _I'm the one cleaning up your messes!_ I can't see him but I know that if he was here he would be raising an eyebrow, silently arguing. _It's true!_ The eyebrow raises even further. _Fine! I accept a third of the blame, but it is mostly you and Tony! Now get out of my head._ _ **Ooh! I like it when you get bossy! I'm starting really want you to make me.**_

I let out a slightly frustrated huff and follow tony up the stairs to where this Obadiah person is waiting. My first reaction when I see him is, don't like him, don't trust him. Dragging a soul down to Hell let's me know everything about someone, their past, their morals, what makes them special in the grand plan. (I don't get their name for some reason.)

While I can't learn everything about a person by just being near them, I can always get a basic understanding of their personality by looking at their soul. Obadiah is manipulative, a liar and only works for himself. That's what I get from a quick glance.

I throw on a very fake smile and greet the man, "You must be Obadiah. Nice to finally put a face to the name." He shakes my hand and I shove down the urge to cleans it in hand sanitizer. "Candace I presume?" I nod my head once, not exactly pleased he already knows my name, "Nice to meet you, miss."

This is when the smell of pizza reaches my nose, I was so busy not trusting him I didn't even smell food. Tony grabs the box, handing me a slice before digging in himself. "That bad huh?" He asks, around his slice of pizza. For a man raised in a wealthy environment his manners are deplorable. I take a single bite….This is the best pizza I have ever tasted.

"Just because I brought pizza back from New York doesn't mean it went bad." Obadiah says. When the pizza taste as good as Gabriel's Bacon Cheeseburgers and are from the other side of the continent, you're trying to apologise for something.

"It would've gone better if you were there." Obadiah continues. "You told me to lay low and that's what I've been doing. I lay low and you take care of all the…" Tony starts before the older man cuts him off, "In public, the press… This was a Board of Directors meeting."

Oh, somehow I don't think a Board of Directors meeting without the company's owner is a good thing. "The Board is claiming a Post Traumatic Stress. They are filing an injunction. They wanna lock you out." I was right, it is a terrible thing. You know, sometimes I actually tire of being correct all of the time.

"Why, cause the stocks dip 40 points? We knew this was gonna happen." Tony argues, "56 and a half." Pepper corrects matter-of-factly. "It doesn't matter. We own a controlling interest in the company." Somehow this smells fishy. I worked for demons, I know I lie when I hear one. Obadiah isn't telling us everything. _**Or you are just letting your distrust for the man misguide your judgement. But hey! What do I know? I'm not the one who can smell lies.**_

"Tony, the Board has rights too. They are making the case that you and your new direction isn't in a company's best interest." Obadiah tries to appease. He is being locked out of the company his father built, a few words isn't going to calm him down.

"I'm being responsible. That's a new direction. For me... for the company." Tony argues, After a little bit more back and forth Tony gets up with the pizza box and starts heading towards the stairs. "You and I going to finish our project? I figured out what went wrong." He asks, Yeah, what went wrong is you always test things out at too high a setting.

Tony and I were about to disappear downstairs when Obadiah stops us. "I'm trying to turn this thing around, but you gotta give me something. Something to pitch them." He looks meaningfully at the arc reactor glowing through Tony's T-shirt. It's amazing how often I forget that's there.

"Let me have the engineers analyze that, you know, draw some specs." There is that ulterior motive I was looking for. Tony immediately objects, "No. Absolutely not. This one stays with me." Obadiah then grabs the box of heavenly pizza from Tony's hands, "Then this stays with me." No! Obadiah then opens the box, "Go on you can have a piece, take two."

I, the rebel that I am, quickly grab three before scurrying downstairs. A couple seconds later Tony waltzed down the stairs as well. "It's times like these I remember you are a hound. You practically go crazy over food." Tony says, his own slice of pizza in his hand.

"When it tastes better than Gabe's Burgers, Yes, I will go crazy for it." I reply about to take another bite. Before I can however, I snap fills the room and all of the pizza slices disappear, Tony's too. On the table, right beside the flight stabilizers we were working on earlier, is another box of pizza.

The label on the box is Gabriel with a chef hat on, winking. Where the brand name would go is the line 'Gabriel's Pizza'. Tony just rolls his eyes and takes a piece, well accustomed to the odd whims of the Archangel at this point. "I think you insulted your pet angel." He comments, handing me a note that was apparently on the pizza.

 _Dearest Hound,_

 _Nothing taste better than my food. Nothing! Accept this pizza as my way of proving that. The next time you find a dish that comes close, inform me so I may show them who the best chef is._

 _Affections,_

 _Loki the Archangel_

I roll my eyes at the ridiculous note and take my own piece. After taking a single bite it is official, Chef Gabriel/Loki still reigns supreme.


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days are a sequence of test runs, in which Tony will always come out of with another bruise, Dum-E dousing Tony with the fire extinguisher, Tony not realizing he could put me on fire duty and Dum-E on the camera, or just have JARVIS record. And every single meal Gabriel sends a different type of food.

For breakfast the past few days I have had the best Pancakes I have ever tasted, the best Omelette ever and a spectacular bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. For lunch it's been mostly different types of subs and sandwiches. Dinner has been Hibachi, Teriyaki and steak. I think he is trying to prove that no matter what food it is, his will always taste the best.

So far so good. Tony hasn't been complaining, and Pepper doesn't have to run to the store to get Tony food. None of us are willing to complain about the absolutely delicious free meals. _**Because I'm just that awesome!**_

Tony is currently preparing for the next test. "Day 11, Test 37, Configuration 2.0." Have we really been working on this for 11 days? _**Yup! It's been 4 since the Righteous Douchebag got out of Hell.**_ _Has he figured out it was an Angel that pulled him out yet?_ _ **Nope, Castiel did burn out some psychic's eyes when he tried to figure it out.**_

Wait…. _Castiel_ pulled Dean out of Hell? I don't know the guy personally but he killed me before trying to protect his charge. You tend to remember the name of the person who put an Angel blade through your gut and sent you to Purgatory. Lilith didn't let me out for one earth year or so, I think she was trying to teach me not to get killed next time, all it taught me is that she is a bitch. It was nice seeing my parents again though.

"For lack of a better option, Dum-E is still on fire safety." Tony continues, No you're just too stupid to realize I would be perfect on fire safety. "If you douse me again, and I'm not on fire, I'm donating you to a city college." _**But he is so entertaining!**_ Watching Tony and Dum-E argue is absolutely adorable.

"Alright, nice and easy. Seriously, just gonna start off with 1% thrust capacity. And 3, 2, 1." Tony says, activating the thrusters. He lifts a couple feet up in the air, hovers for a second, then touches back down. Tony glances at Dum-E how is holding the extinguisher up to his face.

"Please don't follow me around with it either cause I feel like I'm going to catch on fire spontaneously. Just stand down." The little whining noises Dum-E makes is adorable. "Again, let's bring it up to 2.5%." Tony says activating the thrusters.

I must say, he has zero control. He tries to go left and he goes right, at least he doesn't have to worry about controlling height yet. It's funny to watch him freak out as he flies over his cars. "Okay, this is where I don't want to be. Not the car, not the car."

He flies around in a circle before finally getting back to the center of the room and landing. "Yeah, I can fly." He proclaims victoriously. I raise an eyebrow, "No, you can barely hover and not destroy everything." I correct, "Same difference."

We start building the rest of the suit when I notice a problem, the suit can travel faster than the speed of sound, How am I supposed to keep up? "Hey, Tony?" I call out, working on the rest of the arms. "Yeah, what?"

"Can we make me some boots for my true form? I'm not going to be able to keep up with you other wise." I would like to say I've learned a lot. I understand how more than half of this stuff works now, but the techno babble that just came out of Tony's mouth completely baffled me.

Seeing my confused face Tony repeats himself, this time in a lesser vocabulary. "Yes, we can, and with enough time we could also make it automatically adjust if you want to go human. The only other thing is that we should probably build a headset that won't fall off of your head at high speed. Wearing an entire suit would lessen your maneuverability."

"I'm already bullet proof, so I don't need the full suit anyway." I point out. "Unless they have Iron bullets." Tony reminds, I scoff at the thought. "The only people who purposefully make iron bullets are Hunters and apparently you whenever you get bored."

Tony starts drawing the blueprints for my headset and boots, "Hunters?" He asks, very confused. "Yeah, there are such things as monster hunters. They live mostly off of credit card fraud, traveling from city to city killing anything supernatural." I explain, looking over the designs he brought up quite quickly.

"So if hunters ever come around, we don't tell them you're a Hell Hound." Tony sums up. "Probably a good idea. Some of them are actually good enough to kill me." I agree, I'm mostly talking about Bobby Singer and Rufus Turner. _**The Winchesters aren't ones to underestimate either.**_ _Says the guy who lost to them twice._ _ **Exactly.**_

"Did you already have these plans drawn out? You brought them up really fast." I comment. Tony goes silent for a moment, "Tony?" "I had ideas… So I wrote them down. I just didn't know if you were staying or if you would want to help me with this crazy mission of mine so I didn't mention it." Tony concedes.

"Tony...Your mission involves blowing stuff up for a good reason. Why wouldn't I stick around?" I ask. Realization crawls across his face. The idiot, if he didn't know what I was going to do why didn't he just ask? "Any questions rolling around in that head of yours you've been to afraid to ask?"

"Promise not to bite my head off?" I give him the most 'are you an idiot?' look I can. "Right, Where are your parents and siblings?" He asks, hesitantly. "Mom and Dad are in Purgatory, my siblings are absolutely everywhere." I answer simply, getting to work on these boots. "Have you tried to get them out?"

"They're happy where they are. Every Hound that ever goes to Purgatory joins their enormous pack and the endless hunt." I respond. I can understand why my Parents and Nieces and Nephews like the afterlife. As long as they avoid the Leviathans they can hunt anything as the top predator.

"How many siblings do you have?" Tony asks, getting to work as well. "Only four actually, my parents only had one litter. Quintuplets. I'm sure you will recognise some of their names. My sister Lupa is actually in California. She fell in love with humanity and likes to raise orphans or train future heros. She's the wise one with a tendency for tough love." I start, smiling softly as I remember my siblings.

"Then there is Geri and Freki. They are a bunch of goofballs. They like hanging around Odin as his Guard dogs. My last sibling is Luca, he doesn't like popularity so he has kept to himself over the years. Just hiding out alone, wherever he is." I finish explaining.

"None of them are Hellhounds in the legends…" Tony trails off quite confused. I chuckle bitterly. "Biologically, all of them are Hellhounds, they just decided to grow actual fur and get a different occupation. Luca and I were the only ones with control over the fires of hell. When they found out we had this power demons started swarming and demanding that we work for them. Fortunately, Luca was able to disappear. _She_ was able to put me on a leash though."

Tony nods his head and decides to ask another question, "If you're centuries old… Got any rugrats stalking around downstairs?" That was an unexpected question, I nearly bust out laughing at the randomness of it. "Humans actually got this legend right- if I had kids I would have a mate, and if I had a mate neither of us would willingly leave the others side." I explain through my chuckles.

"Then how did so many Hellhounds come around?" Tony questions confused. "That's all Uncle Cerberus, Geri and Freki. They bonded with an ordinary wolf or hunting dog, the wolf or dog died and they did it all over again." I respond.

"Have any of your family members ever bonded with a human?" Tony asks, trying really hard to look casual and nonchalant. What's with him? "Where do you think Werewolves came from?" I say. Eve and Freki have been having this argument for centuries. Freki eventually allowed Eve to become the godmother to the race.

 _ **Yawn! Can we please skip the history lesson?**_ _I'm just answering any question that Tony has._ "Why haven't you found a mate in several thousand years?" _**You sure you're going to answer**_ **every** _ **question he has?**_ I ignore Gabriel and answer Tony's question, "Just hadn't found the right partner." _She_ didn't make it any easier...

I don't look to see Tony's reaction, staying fully focused on building these boots. It's a couple minutes before Tony speaks again. "One more question and that's it…." Tony says quite hesitantly. I quite doubt it, there is never just one anything with him. "Shoot."

"You're trying to hide from Lilith….Why did you give your name and encourage people to dig into your past at the press conference?" Tony asks very gently, I guess anything involving _her_ is a touchy subject for me.

" _She_ doesn't know what I look like in human form and she never bothered to learn my name. Plus, demons rarely watch Television." I respond. He seems genuinely surprised that I answered his question. "Now are we going to get this done or not?" I ask pointing to the Boots and headset that look nothing like anything at the moment. "Right."

It takes another two days to finish my boots and headset. With that time I've felt a couple more seals break, I've also convinced Pepper, Happy, Rhodes and Tony to wear anti-possession charms until I can get them inked up. Still haven't convinced them to get in the chair yet.

Now that the boots are done and sized to fit both my human and canine persona, I have to figure out how to use them. "You ready to fly?" Tony asks with a smirk. "Considering the fact you flew into a wall, no not really….Let's do this." We are going to start with me learning how to fly in my human form, then go to my true form.

I step into the boots which automatically adjust to fit whatever form I am in. Tony slides the gloves over my hands then steps back with a nerve wracking grin on his face. He proceeds to turn on the camera, "The first flying dog… take one." He announces still smirking. "Starting with 1% capacity… 3, 2, 1."

Do you remember the first time you rode a bike? Or the first time you went ice skating? Roller Skating? Do you remember how hard it was to keep yourself upright? Take that feeling, triple it, and you're still not anywhere close. It's like trying to walk on a very slippery floor with shoes that have zero traction.

After a couple seconds of no control I get used to it and I lower back onto the ground. "That's harder than it looks." I comment, taking a moment to find my center of gravity. "Ready for 2.5?" Tony asks, still laughing from my oh, so eloquent aerial aerobics. "Not at all. Let's go."

This time I don't have to spend anytime trying to find my balance, immediately able to keep myself upright. With the stronger power I start to hover around the room, I am happy to say that I was able to control my direction much easier than Tony did. Probably because I watched him learn to control it before, now I just have to apply what I saw him do.

I do that little spin thing I saw Tony do before touching back down, "Yeah, I can fly." I say just for the fun of it. Tony, of course, has to ruin it for me. "No, you can hover in your human form, Can you do the same as a Hound?" He asks with a smirk. "Same difference." I grumble. _**Deja vu, anyone?**_ _Get out of my head._ _ **Umm… No!**_

I start to shift into my true form, My bones cracking and popping into different spots, my skin, muscles and organs all burning off, turning into flying embers. My eyes slitting and glowing red. My teeth turning into black daggers poking out of my ivory skull. At my feet I see that the boots changes shape as I did, adjusting to the different size. Cool.

"Again, you look insanely awesome like this." Tony says, openly admiring my true form. "Will the boots be affected by my fire?" I ask, my voice having an underlaid growl to it. Tony shakes his head, "The metal would have to be heated to insanely hot temperatures to melt, I can see no reason you would need to burn that hot."

I nod my head and give Tony a grin. Can skeletons grin? "Ready to see a flying dog?" I ask. Tony's smirk returns at full force, "Starting at 1% capacity." "3, 2, 1.." It's actually a lot easier to balance like this, or I'm already used to it. I stand tall before touching down, front paws landing first.

"2.5%...3, 2, 1." Tony announces once I give him a motion to go on. The thrusters turn back on and I'm back in the air. Unfortunately, There aren't any flying dogs whose movements I can mimic- looks like I have to figure this out on my own.

Moving a single paw can change my direction, and if I bend my tail in this direction I go this way. It's quite the process to figuring it out. After flying over and throwing papers everywhere, leaving scorch marks on one of the cars and knocking over Dum-E (Don't know how I managed to do that) I get the hang of it and land back in the center of the room. In human form you hover in place then land, like this I sorta slide onto the ground. If that makes any sense.

Deciding to be that person, I go back into the air just to have a little fun. Of course that is when a scream resonates from the general direction of the stairs. "There is a flying Skeleton Dog in the lab!" Comes the voice of our resident red head. She has never seen my true form, has she?

I gently land back on the ground and start slowly walking over to her. She quickly pulls out the Silver pocket knife I had her start carrying around. "Pepper! It's me..Candace." I bark. She blinks once, twice, then drops the knife and grabs her chest, like I just gave her a heart attack.

"This is what you really look like?!" She asks, slowing her beating heart. I sigh, "Yes, Pepper, While I am happy you didn't try to filet me...You need to learn which metals work against which creatures and just because I give you a name doesn't mean I am who I say I am." I say, sounding very exasperated. If she was in a real hunt, she would have died. Quickly.

"Okay..Can you please turn into something… Less creepy? Your eyes make you look like you are trying to judge whether or not to kill me on the spot." Pepper asks, gesturing to my current form. I roll my eyes and will skin and fur to cover my bones. I probably look even more gross in between forms, but Pepper will be happier with the end result.

The fire inside my rib cage turns to organs and blood. Powerful muscles cover each and every one of my bones. Thick Coal black fur sprouts from my skin and my claws are blood red, similar to my eyes. "Is this better? I can't change the eye color, sorry." I say, shaking head quickly to get the fur to lie more naturally.

"You get more and more awesome everyday." Tony says patting my back, I'm tall enough that my shoulder is above his hip. Just to mess with him, I force myself to grow a little bit taller. "...Did you just grow?" He asks, rubbing his eyes to make sure they aren't playing tricks on him.

I curl my lip up in a small little grin, "I have no idea what you're talking about." I say, changing size again to make me much smaller. I probably look like a little wolf cub right now. "Can all Hellhounds do that?" He asks, bending down to my level. I shake my head happily. "Nope, this is all me!" "Awesome." He says awesome a lot doesn't he? _**Wait until you meet Dean.**_

After calming down Pepper she tells us the reason she came down here in the first place, "You two haven't eaten in two days. The Number of Cheeseburgers that I've had to put in the fridge is getting ridiculous." Oops, Tony and I turn to each other, giving a sheepish shrug.

That is when my stomach decides to voice its complaints. "Yeah, food. That's probably a good idea." I admit, heading towards the stairs. It's so much harder to get up and down the stairs when the stairs are almost taller than me. After nearly falling off of the second step I grumble and shift into a human form once again. "The process of going from one form to another is incredibly gross." Pepper comments from behind me.

We walk into the dining room and sure enough on the table is our next meal waiting for us. A bag of Chinese food, the label is Gabe standing under one of those shrine things with the title: Trickster Express. I roll my eyes at the label and start pulling out the food.

"I'm not complaining or anything… Why does Gabriel keep bringing you food? I understand hanging around because he is bored, but why bring food?" Tony asks, digging into his Vegetable Chow Mein. _**I dunno, maybe I wanna keep your asses alive? You sure as hell aren't capable at feeding yourselves, it would seem.**_

I repeat what Gabriel said to Pepper and Tony, digging into my sesame seed chicken. Pepper of course is just eating the egg rolls. What is it with humans and worrying about their weight? I find it stupid, looking fabulous isn't going to save your life when you're running after/away from a windigo, Leviathan or Vamp.

"Ready to go on our first official flight after this?" Tony asks, I try to ignore the sauce all over his cheek as I respond, "Of course, But do you think JARVIS will even let us take them for a spin?" I respond, because JARVIS is a mother hen...I don't even know how that is possible considering the fact he is an AI!

"I was the one to program him! He is going to do whatever I tell him to do." Tony responds matter-of-factly. "Then yes, I am ready to be the world's first flying dog."


	8. Chapter 8

After our delicious meal, snapped up by _**Yours Truly,**_ Tony and I head back down stairs and start putting on our suits. I shifted back into my furred wolf form, and this is when I realized I never took off the boots when we went to go eat. Oh, well.

Tony plops a pair of glasses over my ears, that tighten around my skull and my vision starts looking extremely techno. I can see the power levels in my boots, all of the flight patterns of nearby airlines and other basic information I'm never going to use. Why does it also show Tony's battery power under mine?

"So If one of us is having technical problems the other can make sure they don't fall to their deaths." Tony answers my thought…. "Yes, you were thinking out loud." I need to stop that. Tony has gotten into his suit as well. The silver seems kinda… plain.

Tony puts on the head to his suit, "JARVIS, are you there?" Tony says, "At your service, Sir, Miss." The AI responds. The headset also has speakers apparently, because I know that I wouldn't be able to hear his voice from in the suit unless the exterior speakers are on.

"Tony? How am I supposed to hear this with a lot of wind?" I ask, knowing that he somehow put speakers into the headset. "Wind filters." He answers simply, really? That's all it takes? Okay, he's the tech genius, I'm just the student. JARVIS goes on the check everything in and outside the suit.

"Test complete. Preparing to power down and begin diagnostics." Figured he (it?) would say something like that. "Ah, yes... tell you what. Do a weather and ATC check. Start listening to the ground control." Tony counters.

"Sir, there are still terabytes of calculations needed before an actual flight." Why did Tony design this thing with so much safety protocol? "Jarvis… Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk." No, I'm fairly certain you have to walk before you can run, there is no occurrence anywhere of a child running before they walked. _**Shut up!**_ _Make me!_ _ **...Something is not right here.**_

Tony glances back at me, "You ready?" "Hell Yeah, 3...2…" "~1!~" We count down, blasting off into the sky. We do loops and twists, Barrel rolls, anything and everything. I even flew upside down for a couple minutes. The wind through my fur, the spray of the ocean if you get close enough. "It feels like a dream." I say in awe. Flying in circles around Tony.

"I'm not fully convinced it isn't." He responds. Well, if this is just a dream, then it is perfectly okay to do something crazy. "What's the highest a plane has ever been?" I ask. "The altitude record for fixed-wing flight is 80.000 feet, Miss." JARVIS responds.

Tony and I don't even have to look at each other to know what we're thinking. "~Records are made to be broken.~" We chorus, before shooting straight upward. I watch the meter with excitement.

60.000. The air gets colder and colder the farther up we go.

65.000

70.000. I start using my fire to keep myself warm.

75.000

"Sir, Miss, there is a potentially fatal buildup of ice occurring." Ice? Seriously? Like I'm going to let that stop me. I use my fire to keep the ice away and keep climbing.

78.000

79.000

80.000

81.000! Yes! I made it. Take that! The world's first flying canine beat the height record! I turn to Tony...Tony? Where is her? _**About a thousand feet below you, falling.**_ Shit! I start bolting downward trying to catch up with him.

"JARVIS, find Tony." I tell my headset, ignoring the thin layer of ice clinging to my fur now that I stopped caring about the fucking ice. "Mr. Stark is straight ahead." The AI says, locking onto his falling form. Come on! Closer...Closer. I catch up to the idiot and immediately start melting the ice buildup.

"Come on! Come on!" The light in the suit comes back on probably three seconds before we would have gone splat. I pull us up and hover a ways about the city. "Oh thank God. You didn't die." I say panting slightly.

"Aww...Were you worried about me?" Tony mocks. "Psh… About you? No? But if you die I have to find a new place to live." I joke. I hear a flutter of feathers to the side of us. "Oh, come on Puppy. You would be devastated if Tony-roni kicked the bucket." Says a very annoying voice to the side. Gabriel?! "The one and only!"

Right beside is us the Archangel, seeming to levitate in place beside us, I'm going to assume that he is using his wings, we just can't see them. "All six of them!" "Stay out of my head!" _**Make me!**_ And thus, balance is restored.

I roll my eyes at the trickster, "Do you actually need something or are you bored again?" I ask, figuring I'll get that out of the way. "Yes! My warning is what saved Edward's life over here…" Where did he get Edward from? _**His middle name.**_ _Then I can officially call him Cullen or vampire!_ _**You do that… I'm going to stick to my original nicknames.**_ _How is his Middle name original?_ _ **...Shut up.**_ _Make me!_

"...So, you owe me another favor!" Gabriel finishes with a grin, as if we never had a Telepathic conversation. Two favors owed to the Trickster…Crap. Tony however responds differently…"What do you want?" He asks, like it is no big deal. "I don't know yet… Na ah ah! Don't start pulling out your checkbook. I don't need human currency, If I ever need help- which is practically never- I call. All there is to it!"

With a snap Gabriel vanishes once again. Why do I have a sneaking feeling that he isn't going to call, I'm just going to end up snapped wherever he is at the time? "Is he always going to show up at random times?" Tony asks a couple seconds after Gabriel vanished. _**Yes.**_ "I don't think I have to answer that."

We fly back to the house, one near death experience being enough for today. Tony hovers above the roof. "Cut power." The power to his suit shuts off and he goes straight through the roof, through the piano below and right into the car that both of us scorched learning how to fly. I carefully descend through the opening he created all the way down to the garage.

Tony is currently being doused by Dum-E's fire extinguisher, too tired to even do anything about it he just lays back down. I chuckle and shift human, giving my equipment back to JARVIS. "You alive?" I ask rhetorically, "Nope, I'm pretty sure I'm dead." Tony replies opening the face mask.

"Well, if you see a reaper please go with them, I don't want to have to torch your bones to get you to stop killing people with electronics." I respond, preparing an Icepack for whenever Tony decides to get up, That is only the prototype after all. None of the bullet proof linings have been added yet. Or any weapons for that matter.

A couple minutes later I'm sitting beside Tony as he and JARVIS go back in forth trying to figure out what went wrong. "I'm thinking 'icy' is a probable factor." Tony comments, humorously. _**No shit Sherlock.**_

"A very astute observation, sir. Perhaps if you intend to visit other planets, we should improve the exo-systems." The AI responds. Fast forward through all the techno babble that I can barely understand. To sum it all up, All of our problems are fixed if we use Titanium-Gold Alloy. The metal doesn't burn my skin so I'm all good.

Tony turns up the Television, "Tonight's red hot red carpet, right here at the Disney Concert Hall, where Tony Stark's third annual benefit for the Firefighters Family Fund has become the place to be…" "Jarvis, did we get an invite from them?" Tony asks.

"I have no record of an invitation from them, Sir." _**Not invited to your own party, that's gotta burn, Red hot.**_ "...haven't been seen in public since his bizarre and highly controversial press conference. Some claim he's suffering from PTSD and has been bedridden for weeks. Whatever the case may be, no one expects an appearance from him tonight." The news reporter continues.

We're going to a party tonight aren't we? _**I've left the perfect dress for you on your bed.**_ I'm scared. JARVIS beeps signaling the completion of the newest suit idea. "The render is complete." I look at the design...Completely gold? Everyone knows that Tony has a giant ego but he doesn't have to look like it. The new prototype for my boots is also in gold.

"Little ostentatious, don't you think?" Tony comments. "What was I thinking? You are usually so discreet." I love this AI's sass. "JARVIS, can you make mine Black and Blood Red to match my fur?" I ask. The model changes to match what I asked for. Now that is beautiful.

They are mostly black with red accents, similar to my fur. The new design is also more open so that my claws are free to scratch anything close by. "Ooh… I love red." I say looking at the design. "That's perfect for me, thanks J." "Of course, Ms. Armina."

"Love red, huh? Hey, JARVIS, why don't you throw some hot rod red in there." Tony says. "Yes, that shall help you keep a low profile." The AI responds, creating the design. "The render is complete." Tony takes a brief look at it. "Yeah, I like it. Fabricate it and paint it." Tony says, putting up his stuff.

"Commencing an automated assembly. Estimated completion time is five hours." So basically overnight. Tony then turns to me, "Would you like to go to a party?" Called it.

[Page Break]

The dress Gabriel picked out for me wasn't super revealing or horrible fashion taste like I expected it to be. It's a floor length, Ombre one shoulder dress. It's black fading into red, looking like flames in the night sky. I love it and I am keeping it afterwards. _**We'll see about that…**_ _Shut up._ _ **Make me!**_

Tony pulls his Silver bugatti through a huge crowd of people and up to the front of the building where the benefit is being held. Why he needs a 2.4 million dollar car is beyond me. _**He is clearly compensating for something!**_ Tony gets out of the car, throwing his keys to the Valet, he comes over to my side and opens the door for me. He offers me a hand, helping me out of the car all gentleman-like.

I step out of the car, taking his hand and try to ignore all of the cameras that immediately go off. Can you hear the rumor mill running? We walk down the red carpet, arm in arm. I stay attached to Tony's side for two reasons. One, they wouldn't let me in otherwise and Two, I can barely walk in these heels.

This is the first time I've worn heels, after all. Tony had to help me walk back in forth across the living room before I finally got used to it. Tony doesn't seem to mind. "Hey Tony, Remember me?" A beach blond woman asks as we pass. "Sure don't." Tony says, not ever looking at her twice. I kinda want to laugh at her rejected expression.

Tony continues to say one line comments to almost everyone that we pass. "You look great, Heff." _**Oh look! It's a Stan Lee cameo!**_ _Who is Stan Lee?_ All I get is a sigh in return. Oh, well. Must not be important.

Tony spots Obadiah up ahead and pulls me in that direction. "What's the world coming to when a guy's gotta crash his own party?" Tony asks, interrupting whatever interview Obadiah was having. "Hey, what a surprise! And Candace, dear, you look lovely." Obadiah complements, gesturing to my dress. _**Back off, old timer.**_

I throw on a fake smile and kindly accept the unwanted compliment from the man. "Thank you Mr. Stane." He waves his hand dismissively, "Call me Obadiah, or Hell, even Obie like Tony insists on doing." "Very well, Obadiah." I respond. I'm not calling him by some nickname.

That would imply that we are friends. I'm not friends with people I don't trust. _**I give nicknames to everyone but I sure as hell ain't friends with everyone.**_ _You just like to push people's buttons by mocking them._ _ **I guess you're right, Hot Dog.**_ I'll tolerate Obadiah because Tony likes him.

"We'll see you inside." Tony says, moving to go inside the building. "Listen, take it slow, alright? I got the Board where I really want them." Obadiah warns. "You got it. Just cabin fever, We'll just be a minute." Yeah right, I didn't learn how to walk in heels for us to just be here a minute.

Tony and I navigate our way through the crowd and make our way to the bar. Of course that is how Tony Stark wants to start his evening. "Give me a Scotch…" He then turns to me, "Mai Tai for her." Does Tony drink so much alcohol he can automatically tell what drinks people like? _**Anyone who drinks a shit ton of alcohol can tell. Tony here definitely spent a lot of time at bars and clubs when he was younger.**_ _Yeah, I kinda got that when half of the women here seem to have slept with him._

"Mr. Stark?" A voice says from beside us. My immediate reaction to the man standing beside us is that he has mastered the art of creeping up on people, I didn't see him there. "Agent Coulson." He introduces. I do a quick read of his soul… Obedient, That feels like his entire personality. Give him an order and he will follow it to the letter, the same with protocol. He is probably a joy to work with.

"Yeah, the guy from the…" "Strategic, Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." Agent Coulson answers, "God, you got... you need a new name for that." Tony says taking a sip of his drink. I think about the words for a second, "They already have a new name for that, they just want to see if anyone can remember what the acronym stands for…" I say, taking a sip of my own drink.

Coulson chuckles softly, "I must say you're the first one to figure that out…We call ourselves, S.H.I.E.L.D. I just like saying the entire thing." "It is kinda fun to say- if you can remember it all! Anyway, what can we do for you, Agent?" I ask.

"I know this must be a trying time for you, but we need to debrief you. There's still a lot of unanswered questions, and time can be a factor with these things. Let's just put something on the books. How about the 24th, 7 p.m. at Stark Industries?" Coulson suggests.

Tony seems to freeze up, something about this conversation is putting him on edge so I take over, "Of course, we'll be there." I then turn to Tony, "But, I do believe Tony here promised me a dance." I say, putting our finished drinks back on the counter and pulling him out onto the dance floor.

I pull him out into the center of the dance floor and we start dancing to 'I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore'. "You want to tell me why you froze up?" I ask softly, quite enough so that only he can hear me. "Oh, That? It's nothing." Tony says, coming out of whatever trance he was in.

"Tony…" I push. "It's just… I'm not exactly looking forward to looking back on those three months- They aren't exactly happy memories…" Tony trails off. I guess they aren't, He was tortured for a month and a half, watched as they threatened to kill Yensen and I. Then Yensen actually died. Sometimes the memories are worse than the event.

I decide to change the subject. "How many rumors do you think this dance is creating?" I ask, glancing at all of the reporters trying to subtly take a photo. "Doesn't matter, they're all going to be stupid and wrong." Tony returns, also noticing how much attention we're getting.

"Any examples?" I ask, actually curious. "Tony Stark seduced by random unknown." He says, as if he was doing some report. I laugh and return with my own, "Random girl moves in with Tony Stark, Secret Love story?" We go back and forth with our ideas for a couple minutes, each one crazier than the last. Each one further away from the truth.

They all have one thing in common though, They all say that we're dating. _**Oh yeah, because that's not true at all!**_ "Why aren't we dating?" Tony asks, suddenly. That one comment shatters the magical atmosphere that had surrounded us, the light hearted witty banter vanishes. I remove my hands from their place on his shoulders and start walking towards the bar, "I need another drink."

Tony starts chasing after me…"Hey! Candace! What did I say?" He asks as I reach the bar, getting another Mai Tai. "Come on...Talk to me...What did I do wrong?" He asks, still trying to get my attention. "Actually, can I get a couple shots of whiskey?" I ask the bartender, before turning to Tony. "You did nothing wrong… I'm just not drunk enough to discuss this."

Tony opens his mouth to say something else when a blond reporter speaks up, "Well... Tony Stark!" Tony, obviously recognizing the voice winces at whoever it is. "We are not done talking about this…" He tells me before turning around. Yes… we are very done talking about this. I down the first shot, ignoring the burn before tuning into their conversation. "You have a lot of nerve showing up here tonight. Can I at least get a reaction from you?" The lady asks. Oh, he slept with her didn't he? _**I think you forgot who you're talking about…**_ _Yup, he definitely slept with her, and judging by her reaction I would say he lied to her as well._

"Panic. I would say panic is my reaction." Tony answers. _**Especially since he's talking to her.**_ _That means he somewhat remembers her. If he remembers her it was either recent or good._ _ **Is this why you deflected his question?**_ _Part of it._

"I was referring to your company's involvement in this latest atrocity." Wait...What? I was expecting something more along the lines of, 'why didn't you call like you said you would?'. She plops down some photos on the bar, all of them containing images of Stark weapons being used on civilians. "Is this what you call accountability?"

"When were these taken?" Tony asks in shock. "Yesterday." She spits out. "I didn't approve any shipment." Tony defends. "Well, your company did." "I'm not my company." Tony rushes outside, completely forgetting about our conversation. That's good, I guess.

I follow him to see him talking with Obadiah. "I was naive before, when they said: Here's the line, we don't cross it, this is how we do business. If we're double-dealing under the table... are we?" Tony says quietly. I wouldn't have heard it if I didn't have advanced hearing.

I trust Obadiah the least and that is the first person Tony goes to with theories of traitors, Typical. Obadiah has them take a picture so that he can whisper in Tony's ear. "Tony... who do you think locked you out? I was the one who filed the injunction against you. It's the only way I can protect you." And my distrust for this man suddenly has several solid reasons backing it. It takes me every ounce of willpower I have to keep myself from making him burst into flames right then and there.

Obadiah walks away and Tony finally notices me behind him. "I think it's time we actually used our science project for something." He says lowly, the trust he previously had for Obadiah broken. The valet brings around Tony's car and we drive back to the house. Too bad the suits won't be done until tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9

The time it takes for the Suit to complete is filled with a very grumpy Tony glaring at absolutely everything like it personally offended him. I turned on the TV to try and get him to calm down… didn't exactly work.

"The fifteen miles hike to the outskirts of Gulmira can only be described as a 'descent into Hell'. Into a modern day heart of darkness. Simple farmers and herders from peaceful villages have been driven from their homes displaced from their lands by warlords, emboldened by a newfound power."

"Villagers have been forced to take shelter in whatever ways that they can find- in the ruins of other villages or here, in the remnants of the old Soviet smelting plant. Recent violence has been attributed to a group of foreign fighters, referred to by locals as the Ten Rings."

"As you can see, these men are heavily armed and on a mission. A mission that can prove fatal to anyone who stands in their way. With no political will or international pressure, there's very little hope for these refugees. Around me, a woman begging for news on her husband who was kidnapped by insurgents. Either forced to join their militia…"

The rest of the reporter's story is drowned out by the sound of Tony testing the repulsors and various objects in the room. At least all of the stuff he destroyed is easy to replace. _**Someone's in a bad mood!**_ _It is his weapons that are hurting people._ _ **Is he having a 'it's all my fault' 'I could have done more' moment?**_ _Let's hope he moves on quickly._ _ **When have you ever been that lucky?**_

After Tony has his fill of destroying the garage, the TV can be heard again. "There's very little hope for these refugees, refugees who can only wonder who, if anyone, will help." I turn it off before it drives Tony into another destructive fit.

Tony then turns to me, "Ready to go blow up some weapons and get revenge?" Well, when you put it like that it actually sounds like a lot of fun. "Let's light 'em up."

[Page Break]

Tony and I race through the clouds heading straight for Gulmira. A man in a metal suit and a flaming, flying, giant, black dog. We aren't an intimidating pair at all! _**I thought I was the sarcastic one.**_ _Nah, you're the sassy one. Tony's witty and I'm sarcastic._ _ **Does that mean Dean fucking Winchester's the combo of all of us?**_ _Never actually had a conversation with the dude, so I dunno._

Tony and I land in the middle of the town just as the Ten Rings grunts were about to execute a man in front of his family. Now that's just not cool. Tony punches the Goon holding a gun to man's head, making him go flying… Cartoon style.

I quickly burn all of the goons close to me to ashes, ignoring the bullets that bounce off my skin. The hit I ordered on the Ten Rings is still in effect so the moment they pass on my distant relatives pull their souls into the pit. I don't feel even slightly guilty for that, cuz it's not like heaven would accept them.

I turn back around to see that the rest of the goons are using the hostages as human shields. I stand down, letting Tony take care of this one. Tiny little missiles come from his shoulders taking out the rest of the goons simultaneously.

Tony quickly uses JARVIS to find the leader of this little squad, punching his arm right through the wall he is hiding behind and pulling him back out onto the streets. While Tony is fine leaving the guy to the civilians to punish, I can't resist leaving behind my own little present. I brand my enormous paw print into his cheek, claws and all. _**That's a little excessive, don't ya think?**_ _Hypocrite._ _ **Shut up.**_ _No!_

I gave him the brand because scars and brands don't go away… even in the afterlife. A permanent reminder that he shouldn't have messed with me. I fly after Tony happy with today's accomplishments. I nearly laughed my head off when Tony gets shot out of the sky by a tank. He was filled with absolute spite when he blew it up.

We start flying back home when Tony gets a call. "Hello?" Tony asks, he can barely hear whoever is on the other end over the wind. So you added wind filters to my headset but not your suit? You're one of the dumbest geniuses ever. _**Because that made perfect sense.**_ _Shush, you._ _ **No!**_

"Who is this?" More words that I can barely hear. "Sorry, hello?" "I… Rhodes." Oh, so Rhodey is calling. Isn't he at work right now? "Speak up, please." Tony continues. "What the hell is that noise?" Rhodey asks, "I'm driving with the top down." Tony lies quickly.

"Yeah, well I need your help right now." "Funny how that works. huh?" "Yeah, speaking of funny, we got a weapons depot that was just blown up a few clicks from where you've been held captive." Rhodes goes on. Oh, that's why he is calling.

"Well, that's a hot spot. Sounds like someone stepped in and did your job for you." Tony comments. You aren't the best liar are you Tony? "Why do you sound out of breath, Tony?" Rhodes asks. "I was just jogging at the canyon." "I thought you were driving." "Right, I was driving to the canyon where I'm gonna jog." Let me correct that, Tony is an absolutely horrible liar.

"Are you sure you don't have any tech in that area… I should know about?" Rhodes asks. "Nope!" "Good, because I'm staring at two things right now that are about to be blown to kingdom come." Two fighter jets appear right behind us, "Ah, that's my exit." Tony announces as we both take a sharp turn.

Let's lose these suckers, Tony and I go supersonic, trying to get away, the dumb planes keeping up. So we need to make these faster than Jets. I think I'm just going to make a list of everything we need to add. So far…Cloaking and Speed.

One of the Jet's deploys a missile, I force it to explode early, a couple feet behind us. The planes then resorts to machine guns. Tony works hard on trying to dodge, I just let the bullets hit me and bounce right off. I guess human don't create their weapons with the supernatural in mind.

"Let's try something else... Slow down quickly, dropping off the radar, then attach to one of their bellies." Tony tells me through the headset. Okay...Simple and effective. "3..2..1.." Simultaneously we slow down, each grabbing onto one of the jets.

Of course things immediately go wrong. The plane Tony is attached to starts to roll, shaking him off and into the one I'm under, making it fall out of the sky, dragging me along with it. "Candace!" Tony shouts when he sees me falling. I'm more preoccupied in getting to the pilot, who ejected from the plane but can't open his parachute. Don't they check and replace these things regularly?

"I've got the pilot- you get the stupid planes to back the hell off." I growl. Tony calls Rhodes back but I just ignore the conversation. Come on! Come on! Closer….Got it! I rip the chute open with my claws and let it do it's job, saving the pilot.

I pull up and rejoin Tony, "Oh my God. You two are crazy. You know you owe me a plane." Rhodey says. "Well, technically he hit me, so…" Tony argues. "...Now are you gonna come by and see what we're working on?"

"No, NO. The less I know the better. Now what am I supposed to tell to the press?" Rhodes responds. "Training exercise. Isn't that the usual BS?" Tony answers simply. "It's not that simple…" Rhodey says before hanging up, most likely to think something up.

[Page Break]

About an hour later Tony is currently struggling to get his suit off. As mine is just some boots and a headset I was able to get them off in seconds. Rhodey is currently on the TV, all dressed up in his military outfit.

"An unfortunate training exercise involving an F-22 Raptor occurred yesterday. I'm pleased to report that the pilot was not injured. As for the unexpected turn of events on the ground in Gulmira, it is still unclear who or what intervened, but I can assure you that the U.S. government was not involved." Not that simple huh?

I'm sitting on one of the tables, trying not to laugh as Tony and JARVIS try to get the suit off of him. "Sir, the more you struggle, the more this is going to hurt." Maybe we should also work on getting them easier to get in and out of.

"Be gentle, this is my first time. I designed this to come off." Tony says, Pepper comes down the stairs, quite confused about why the glass windows are all shattered. "What's going on here?" She asks. Tony goes silently for a minute before casually remarking.

"Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing." I don't even want to know what the worst is. _**Yeah, you do.**_ _Yes, I do. I'm kinda scared to ask though._ "Are those bullet holes?" I decide to step in before things get too ugly. _**Too late for that, Tony's here.**_

This probably isn't going to help much but it will get her attention more on me than Tony. Plus, I refuse to lie to her. "Tony and I were out destroying the weapons that someone within Stark industries has been selling to terrorist groups." I explain as simply as I can, shifting the blame away from Tony.

Tony finally manages to get out of the suit, "Freedom!" He proclaims. "So you're telling me, that there is a traitor within the company?" Pepper asks, taking this a lot better than I had even hoped she would. "Basically, Yeah." I respond. She isn't going to freak out? Please don't freak out.

"AND YOU TWO ARE TRYING TO TAKE THEM ON YOURSELVES?!" There is the freak out I was expecting.

[Page Break]

The next week or so goes by in a similar fashion, Wake up, eat whatever food Gabe conjured that day, go out to destroy Stark weapons, fix whatever problems we found with the suit and add cool features. We learned to stay out of no fly zones and we were able to convince Pepper that this mission of ours is a good thing, no matter how dangerous. She still isn't happy about it.

Gabriel has been pretty quiet lately. Maybe he decided to stop bouncing around in my head and do something productive for once! It's nice to have some peace and quiet for once. "BOOM!" When Tony's latest project doesn't blow up in his face.

"That didn't go as planned!" Tony coughs, getting up from where upgrading his suit sent him flying across the room. Tony's been working on more weapons in the suit, I'm more concerned about being able to outrun fighter jets next time we run into some. We were going to go out again today to destroy some of the black market Stark weapons, but there aren't any more known locations. So we settled for upgrading until we can find where the rest are.

Tony figured that Stark Industries would have a record of who the weapons were sold to, but since he has been locked out of the company he can't access it. I can't do it because I was never a part of the company to begin with.

After about five more explosions from Tony's side of the room, Pepper comes down stairs. "Hey, just wanted to make sure that your suicide mission hasn't succeeded yet." Pepper says as she steps into the room. "Nope, still alive and kickin'." I respond, ignoring the small explosion Tony creates.

Tony gets back up and heads over to us. "There is actually something I need you to do…" He trails off, digging through all of the stuff that clutters his desk. His house would be an absolute mess if it weren't for Pepper, me and the maid.

"I need you to go to my office and hack into the mainframe. You're gonna retrieve all the recent shipping manifests." Tony says, handing her a small flash drive. "This is a lock chip, this will get you in. It's probably under Executive Files, if not… they put it on a ghost drive, in which case you need to look for the lowest numeric heading."

I just stand there in shock, He is bringing her into this?! Purposefully putting her in danger? "No! Not going to happen! You have a traitor in Stark Industries and _that's_ where you want to send her?! To try and steal some of their secrets no less?! You're going to get a target planted on the back of her head!" I exclaim, starting to pace back and forth, accidentally setting a couple things on fire here and there. Dum-E hurries to put out the Dark red flames while I continue my rant.

"How can you be one of the smartest people in the world, yet always have the dumbest ideas?! It's like God forgot to add common sense! You want to throw her into a shark tank and expect her not to get eaten?! The term 'don't tempt fate' mean anything to you?! I'm not exactly on good terms with her and her sisters! I won't be able to-" I am abruptly cut off when Tony pull me over to them, putting a single hand over my mouth, effectively cutting off both my pacing and my rant. Fires are still popping up around the room though.

"Okay! I get it, you don't like this idea...So what would you have us do?" Tony asks, slowly taking his hand off of my face. Good, if it was there for any longer I would have punched him. I glare at him, still quite peeved that he interrupted me that way. "Idealy, I would find a way to send me in. The bullet and Fire proof women, It's a bit harder to kill me." I say slowly, trying to keep myself from punching out those stupidly shinny and straight teeth of his.

"Well, we can't send you because you don't have any connection to the company and zero reason to be there. So we send Pepper." Tony answers like a complete know-it-all. "Well, we can't send Pepper because that would get her killed." I answer back in a similar fashion.

"We're sending Pepper."

"No we are not."

"Yes, we are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Do I get a say in this?!" Pepper interrupts. "~NO!~" We yell in unison. I turn back to Tony, "I refuse to risk getting Pepper killed for _our_ mission." I push. Too bad he is a stubborn idiot. "There is no reason she would get targeted because it's _normal_ for the assistant CEO to be at the company. No one is even going to notice that she is there." Tony argues.

"Enough!" Pepper screams as I open my mouth, effectively cutting off my retort. We both turn to her, what the Hell does she need to say? "Candace, while it is nice to know you don't want me getting hurt, that is the exact same reason I don't like this mission of yours in the first place. If it doesn't stop you why would it stop me?" She asks. Tony gives me one of those 'I win' smiles. I'm going to punch him later.

"As for Tony's side of this argument, I don't want to do this, not if it means that you are going to fly right back into danger…" It's my turn to smirk, I win after all. "...But," There is a but, why does there have to be a but? "If I don't do this for you guys then you will just find a way to do it yourselves. This way I can at least keep _some_ semblance of an eye on what you two are doing." Pepper finishes, picking up the flash drive from the table.

She is going to risk her life, to keep an eye on us?! My shock must have shown through because Tony's grin is back in full force. Pepper walks out, ignoring my betrayed and shocked expression. Tony starts opening his mouth, to gloat most likely, but I cut him off by placing my index finger in the air, "Shut it! I still think this is a terrible idea." I say, starting to walk away from him.

"Where are you going?!" Tony shouts after me as I start my assent up the stairs, "I'm taking a break!" I shout back. I nap would be good considering that the second Pepper gets back with that flashdrive we will be running around the world on another missile. I need my beauty rest.

I open the door to my beautifully decorated red and black room and almost immediately allow myself to flop down onto the bed. If I had stayed down there any longer I most likely would have punched something. "Aww… Is the widdle puppy sweepy?" An annoying voice coos from across the room. Is that who I think it is?

I shift ever so slightly in the bed so I can glance over at the side of the room. Across the room, lounging on the Sofa, flipping through the channels on the Television Tony insisted I should have in my bedroom, lies Gabriel the Trickster/Loki the Archangel, Take your pick.

He looks so comfortable laying on _my_ couch, watching _my_ TV, in _my_ room. His hands are tucked neatly behind his head, making is arms look like a triangle. His feet are comfortably placed on _my_ coffee table, crossed at the ankles, left under the right. I'm not sure how he is changing the channels, seeing as his hands are restrained beneath his head and the remote is a couple feet away on the coffee table. How did I not hear the TV turn on anyway?

"Probably because you're about to fall asleep…." Gabe drawls, removing one hand from behind his head to eat some of the popcorn he popped up. The channel flips a couple more times before it lands on a reporter discussing the latest 'news'. It's one of those channels that focuses more on celebrity gossip than on what's happening in the world.

I roll out of the comfy bed and plop myself next to Gabriel on the just as comfy sofa. I reach over and grab three pieces of popcorn, throwing one in that air and catching it in my mouth effortlessly. "You could have at least asked first." The Trickster grumbles, shifting slightly to make is easier for us to share the popcorn.

I smirk, one not to different from Gabe's ever present grin. "Oh, great and magnificent Gabriel, may I please have some of your popcorn?" I ask sarcastically, throwing another piece in the air. A second before the salty and buttery piece of happiness can reach my mouth Gabriel snatches it out of the air. "Hey!" "Of course you can have some popcorn." Gabriel says, holding out the piece for me to grab.

I snatch the piece and shove it in my mouth. "Dick." "Keep sweet talking, Flattery gets you everywhere." Gabriel says with a wave of his hand, changing the channel to another gossip reporter. The first thing I see is a picture of Tony and me dancing at the charity gathering last week. Standing in front of the photo is a Blond woman with obvious signs of both plastic surgery and that her hair is dyed.

"Earlier this week Billionaire Tony Stark was seen both arriving and leaving with this woman to his annual Firefighter charity event." The picture on screen then changes to the press conference oh so long ago. "This same woman was seen previously at Mr. Stark's side when he decided to close the weapons manufacturing branch of his company. There she declared her name as Candace Armina and challenged the press to find some sort of 'dirt' on her, claiming that they were incapable of doing so."

"And so far the press have failed. No information has been found about Ms. Armina but plenty of theories have been formed." The lady on the screen continues to rant. "Yeah, and I bet more than half of them are stupid." I gripe at the TV, Gabe quickly puts a finger to my lips, "Shhh… I wanna hear this." I roll my eyes at the Archangel but keep quiet nonetheless.

"Some theories include: Due to the lack of anything found when searching her name, it is theorized that she gave the press an alias, is a criminal that somehow erased all of her files, is an immigrant that came over illegally due to Tony Stark or she simply has a spotless past like she would want us to believe. Some of these are more believable than others."

Okay, first off. No I did not give the press an alias, I did not erase any files on myself because there never were any files to erase. I don't even have a birth certificate or social security number, they don't exactly give those out in Hell. As for whether or not I'm an Immigrant, Hell has gateways at every corner. I wasn't born in America per se. I was born under it. Second off, I get the feeling that this woman doesn't like me very much.

"As for why she has remained at Mr. Stark's side is unclear, and many more theories have been spread about that as well. The most popular is a tie between she is manipulating Mr. Stark to make terrorist attacks easier, hence his sudden decision to close down the weapons branch of his company. The other but less likely theory is that Mr. Stark is actually in love and Miss Armina, if that is her real name, has tamed his play-" Her annoying voice is cut off as I press the power button on the remote, previously laying on the coffee table.

"You tell Tony why you avoided his question at the party?" Gabriel asked conversationally, like I didn't just dive for the remote like my life depended on it. I sigh, leaning back into the couch, "If you were here the past week you would know the answer is no. And I don't think I ever will." I respond in a similar fashion. I'm not upset he wasn't bouncing around in my head, he probably has better things to do than babysit us. I'm just purely curious about where he went, if he wants to answer.

"I think you will tell him eventually, mostly because he is going to nag you about it until you do. As for why I wasn't here… Those Hunters, Sam and Dean Winchester… They've had an interesting eight days. Protected my Little sister Anna from Uriel and tried to help keep some seals from breaking. Not like they had a chance." He says, trying to feign emotionlessness.

"What is your take on the Apocalypse? We should try to stop it? It's fate? Let it happen? Don't let it happen?" I ask curiously. Gabe sighs, popping up a bottle of scotch and a couple glasses. "That, my dear, is above your paygrade." Gabriel says, handing me my glass.

I take a sip, smiling softly, "And what does it take to get promoted around here?" I ask, "We could always make a deal?" Gabe suggest. "I always thought that was your brother's thing." I continue. He rolls his eyes and gets back to the point, "I propose an Arrangement, What secrets we reveal to each other stay between _us_ and in return we promise not to lie."

I narrow my eyes at him, "How does this benefit you?" I ask skeptically. I still don't understand how hanging around us at all benefits him, 'I'm bored' doesn't seem like a probable answer. Gabe lets out a sigh and mutters something that sound suspiciously like, "Hell spawns and their always suspecting an ulterior motive."

"In case you haven't noticed...I don't exactly have many 'friends', it would be nice to be able to talk to someone and not have to worry about them blabbing to the entire world." Gabriel says like it's the most obvious thing ever. "And you're decided to choose _me_ because…." I push.

I'm rewarded with another sigh before he answers, "Because you, my friend, are the only person in the world who A- Isn't super annoying to talk to. B- Isn't an annoying angel. C- Isn't trying to kill me. And D- Doesn't want to destroy the world." Gabriel starts listing. He's funny when he is annoyed.

I think it over for a second. It doesn't sound like a bad arrangement, it sounds basically like any decent friendship, you keep secrets and don't lie. "Okay, I'm in. Now how do angels make deals because I swear if I have to kiss you…." I trail off, leaving my threat hanging in the air. "Aww...But I was looking forward to it!" Gabriel whines, sounding greatly disappointed. "Get over it, short stack." I say, poking fun at the fact I'm taller than him.

Gabriel glares at me before getting back to business, "A Kiss is just something demons started doing because they could get away with it…. All it actually need is for you to shake hands, Since you're _so_ against it." Gabriel reveals holding out his hand, still sounding quite upset. Why did I not know this? I'm older than 95% of demons, how could I not know this?! "Don't feel bad, Lilith only came up with the idea when you were just a widdle Hell cub." Gabriel says, making his voice go higher to mock me.

I roll my eyes and shake his hand, it always bugs me how whenever a deal is made there aren't any sound effects, light shows or anything whatsoever to signify a deal has been made. As if reading my thought, which he most likely was, Gabriel's ever present smirk grows before a golden beam of light shines down on our hands and a warm wave of energy washes over me. I roll my eyes and release his hand, "Not funny." I grumble, downing the rest of my nearly forgotten drink and snacking on the somehow still warm popcorn.

"Now that we can't tell another soul about the secrets we tell each other...You want to answer my question?" I ask, popping more popcorn in my mouth. Gabriel sighs like I just asked the most difficult question in the world. "I don't _want_ the Apocalypse…" Gabriel says carefully, "If all the humans are gone who is going to make my snacks?" He asks, snapping up some M&M's for effect. I hold out my hand in silent question, after a couple seconds he places a few of the shelled chocolate treats in my hand.

"But I also want Luci and Mike to stop fighting like cats and dogs. That's why I left heaven in the first place...To get away from their stupid squabbling. The Apocalypse is just them finally choosing a winner in this never ending argument. I don't care what happens, as long as it's over." Gabriel's says nonchalant. It sound like he is trying to convince himself that he doesn't care.

"...Why are they even fighting in the first place?" I ask, realizing I don't even know why the apocalypse is happening at all. Gabe huffs, "Luci is just throwing a temper tantrum because Dad got a new favorite. Michael is only fighting because he believes it's 'Destiny'." Gabe says, with finger quotes.

I shake my head, what is it with Angels and not understanding the concept of free will? God gave Humans, Angels and everything else out there the option to chose between the right and Wrong path. He gave us the option to go down the middle if we want! So why do Angels have such a hard time believing we can choose our own destinies as well?!

"Because the first Angel to choose his own path got kicked out of heaven." Gabriel answers my mental question. I roll my eyes at his tendency to ignore my mental privacy. I'll figure out how to keep him out one day. "No you won't." Gabe sings.

I was just about to open my mouth to ask another question when an ear splitting sound pierces through the house, originating from down stairs. It's not nearly as loud or annoying as when Angels try to talk to you but it isn't pleasant. I roll off the couch grabbing my highly sensitive ears. What the Hell is that?

"It would seem that Obi-wan Kenobi just stole your boyfriend's disco light." Gabriel says, snapping away. _**I think I'll just observe.**_ Quickly deciphering Gabe's message, I grab the prototype Arc reactor I kept on my dresser and start racing down stairs. Obadiah stole the Arc reactor from Tony. Who is not my boyfriend. _**Keep telling yourself that.**_

I race downstairs, I immediately spot Obadiah walking out the door with a suitcase, but I also see Tony looking dreadfully sick on the couch. The most idiotic mental battle occurs in my head. Obadiah or Tony? _**You idiot! You can get the thief later! Right now make sure the other idiot doesn't die!**_ _Right._

I quickly run over to Tony who can barely seem to move, I quickly move his shirt so that I can replace the Arc Reactor. The pus-like substance within the metal chamber kind of reminds me of a human corpse. The combination of smell and texture, more like a rotting human corpse that is slowly dying. If I didn't know it was from the machine I would assume that Tony is slowly dieing.

"Tony, you okay?!" I ask after making sure the reactor is in properly. Tony still doesn't move, not even blinking. I listen carefully, and his heart's still beating. So why isn't he moving? After a couple more minutes of trying to figure out why Tony's paralyzed he starts to move. "Oh….I regret making that…" He complains with a groan. So, I'm guessing he created a device that can cause temporary paralysis and Obadiah used it against him.

This is when general Rhodes comes barging through the front door. "Tony!" He shouts, coming over to my side to help pick him up. Tony immediately clings to his shirt, "Where's Pepper?" Why is Pepper so important at the moment? Shouldn't we focus on getting Obadiah? "She's with Five agents about to go arrest Obadiah." Rhodes responds, sounding just as confused as I am. "Do you even know what happened?" Rhodes asks turning to me. "Obadiah attacked Tony, took the newest arc reactor. I had to put in the original. Judging by his current reactions I would say he also threatened Pepper." I respond, following Tony as he tries to flop down the stairs.

"Tony! What are we doing?" I ask as he starts the loading sequence to the MARK-2, I guess we are going to need the suit. "Obadiah has been building his own suit, A couple Agents isn't going to be able to stop him." Tony answers, trying to finish the loading sequence.

Welp, that's not good. I step up as well, letting JARVIS give me my boots and headset. Rhodes watches as Tony puts on the suit and I shift into my furred true form. "That's the coolest thing I've ever seen." Rhodes says in awe. Tony seems to be a lot better than he was five minutes ago. "Not bad, huh?" Tony agrees, he then turns to me, "You ready?" "Of course."

Rhodey speaks up one more time before we can take off. "You need me to do anything else?" Tony shoots the car under the hole in the roof. "Keep the skies clear." He says before taking off. What a dramatic guy. _**Not like me!**_ _Shut up. I gotta go kill the bad guy._ _**Go get em, tiger.**_ _Don't compare me to a stupid cat._

I fly after Tony, easily catching up. I see all of that time I spent on speed instead of weapons made me faster than him. I'll have to brag about that later. "How do you think the Mark One chest piece is gonna hold up?" Tony asks JARVIS.

"That chest piece was never designed for sustained flight." The AI responds, "Keep me posted." "No, Keep _me_ posted because Tony is most likely just going to ignore you." I interrupt, flying right beside him. Tony calls Pepper through the suit.

I pretty much just tune out her hysteria, it's all information we already knew. We fly around the corner to see Obadiah in his suit pointing his gun at Pepper. Behind him is a large hole in the concrete... Did he dig himself out of the building? Tony flies into him head first, pushing him back into the large crater and through the back wall of the building, into the street. I stay land beside Pepper and open a small video feed to the fight in my headset.

"Pepper, get outta here." I order, keeping one eye on her, the other on the fight. Pepper of course is still in hysteria mode and refuses to listen to a single word I say. Driving is not in her best interest at the moment. "You know what?" I ask to myself, guiding her inside the building full of broken glass and destroyed equipment. "You hide right here… Once Obadiah has been handled I will come and get you." I say, guiding her to a corner of the room out of the way.

I turn my attention back to the fight JARVIS is playing for me when Tony is trapped in an Explosion. "Impressive! You upgraded your armour. I've made some upgrades of my own." Obadiah taunts before activating his own thrusters, making him airborne. Oh, Great.

"Sir, it appears his suit can fly." The AI informs us, "Duly noted." Tony sassily responds. I can't tell which one has a better sense of humor, the AI or it's creator. _**I obviously win this battle.**_ "Take me to the maximum altitude." Tony orders the AI. "With only 15% power, the odds of reaching that altitude-" "I know the math, just do it!"

I really hate being right. Tony is going to completely throw caution to the wind, isn't he? I sigh and start flying after them, staying slightly behind Obadiah to stay off of his radar. The suit loses power quickly and Tony keeps ignoring JARVIS' warning. After a couple seconds Obadiah catches up to him, his suit covered in ice.

"You had a great idea, Tony, but my suit is more advanced in every way!" Obadiah declares, grabbing Tony around the neck. Holy fucking hell, he's gone insane. "How'd you solve the icing problem?" Tony asks, not really fighting back. I can sense Obadiah's confusion. He looks down at his giant-as-all-fuck suit, seeing it encased in ice. "Oh, I'm not melting it for you." I mutter.

"Might want to look into it." Tony says, knocking him on the head. Obadiah starts to fall towards the ground. I kinda wish I could see his face as he notices the flying wolf that was right under him. I focus on the right glove of the suit, imagine it overheating. I see the metal glowing red-hot, the wires' coatings melting. I imagine his flesh burning, melting even. I focus on it heating up so much, so fast, I imagine it spontaneously combusting. _**I think he lost a hand.**_ _Ya think?!_

I wonder what's going through Obadiah's head right now? He is currently falling to his death while his hand is being burned off. The way I burned it, there isn't even going to be any blood. He is just going to have a melted stump where his hand used to be. "Call off the mutt! Call off the fucking mutt!" He screams. "Not a chance, motherfucker." I focus on burning off the rest of his right arm.

Too bad that's when Tony's suit decides to lose all power… I send one glare to the falling Obadiah before going over to make sure that Tony doesn't fall to his death as well. I lower Tony to the ground and he starts getting out of the suit so it will stop draining power from the arc reactor. I hear a loud crash to our right. Glancing over I see Obadiah getting up, keeping the burnt hand to his chest.

"You stay here, it's my turn to deal with evil Kenobi." I tell Tony, mostly so that he doesn't drain anymore power from the reactor, he kinda needs that to keep his heart going. Tony gives me a look, "What are you going to do?" He asks cautiously, almost like he doesn't actually want to know. A huge malicious smirk spreads across my face, "Light 'em up."

 _ **B-B-B-Be careful making wishes in the dark, dark  
Can't be sure when they've hit their mark  
And besides in the mean, mean time  
I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart**_

 _ **I'm in the de-details with the devil  
So now the world can never get me on my level  
I just gotta get you off the cage  
I'm a young lover's rage  
Got the spark that I need to ignite**_

I stalk over slowly to Obadiah. He makes a move to fly away, but I quickly sear the boots of his suit, taking his feet with them. Without any feet he topples over onto his back, crying out in pain. "Let's get you out of that Iron contraption…" I growl, letting the flames that normally reside in my chest flow upward, past my throat and out the literal daggers that line my jaw.

The heat spread across the metal until the heat causes him to abandon the suit and try to crawl away. I let him try to crawl single handedly away from me, because it's kind of fun to watch him try so hard to get away when he knows there is no chance.

 _ **My songs know what you did in the dark!**_

I breathe fire inches away from the stubs that used to be his feet. Enjoying the screams that come from his throat. I truly hate hurting innocent people, but slowly torturing people like this slime? It feels amazing!

 _ **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
I'm on fire!**_

 _ **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
I'm on fire!**_

I tire of the slow game of Hound and Slime, so I pounce onto him, pinning him on his back. "Please! Please, Stop!" Obadiah begs and pleads. I pretend to pause for a moment, before a menacing growl comes from my throat. "You're going to hell, anyway. May as well start early. You hurt my friend. Just because you were polite in your dying hour… I'm going to tell you my name." I say darkly, as if it is some huge honor.

I lean in close so that he can feel my breath as it passes his ear, "Candace Armina." I whisper. The mix of shock and fear on his face is quite thrilling. Most people after many years in Hell… Start to enjoy being a demon. We can't have that can we? I pick up a single paw and place it on his cheek, burning my paw print into his face. Claws and all.

 _ **All the writers keep writing what they write  
Somewhere another pretty vein just dies  
I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see  
That you're the antidote to everything except for me, me**_

 _ **A constellation of tears on your lashes  
Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes  
In the end everything collides  
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see**_

 _ **My songs know what you did in the dark!**_

"You're a monster!" The slime shouts in my face. "Ooh, shouldn't have said that. Some of us are a little… sensitive." I say, dragging my flaming paw down his throat and chest. A grin grows across my face, I allow the black fur on my bones to burn away in a show of flaming embers. I reveal my true form, a skeletal dog.

The already terrified piece of slime somehow becomes even more so, "We're so much worse." I whisper, making my eyes glow blood red, before lighting the rest of his pitiful existence on fire, watching him burn as Gabriel sings the final verse of the song, while changing the final lyric just a bit.

 _ **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
I'm on fire!**_

 _ **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
You're on fire!**_


	10. Chapter 9 and a half

3rd Person POV:

In Hell…

In one of the darkest rooms, the ones normally reserved for people who would make excellent demons, strapped down to a table, lies Obadiah Stane. All of his limbs have reappeared in what could be considered prime condition. Every wound he ever received seems to have vanished, apart from a large paw print, branded into his cheek.

Calmy a demon walks in, dragging behind him a cart of tools. The demon's name is Moloch, and he just so happens to be the demon that taught the art of torture to Alistair. "Welcome to your first day in Hell! I have been placed in charge of you for while you are here!" Moloch says chipperly, as if Obadiah didn't have a gag over his mouth.

At the word 'Hell' Obadiah begins to struggle against his leather bonds, but to no avail. Moloch ignores Obadiah's struggles, continuing to talk while cleaning his tools. "Normally, there is a little arrangement down here." He says, turning around with a grin, holding up a scalpel, "Normally, I would only get to torture you until you agreed to torture others…" Moloch says, carving a symbol into Obadiah's arms.

The speed at which Obadiah starts nodding his head 'yes' has to be a new record in Hell. Moloch chuckles lightly, "I did say Normally, didn't I?" He asks mostly to himself. "You, my friend are a special case." He says, walking over to Obadiah's face. He runs his calloused fingers over the paw print on Obadiah's face.

"The Brand of a Hellhound…" He whispers in awe, "There are only a total of five Hounds with the power of branding someone… Cerberus, Gwyllgi Armina, Grendel Armando, Candace Armina and Luca Armando. As you can probably guess a Hellhound's brand is quite rare" Moloch lists. A look of terror flashes over Obadiah at the name Candace.

"Hellhounds only brand someone whom they truly despise, someone who they believe deserves no mercy… Even in the afterlife. Those who possess that mark are not allowed off the rack. So that means, well, we get to have fun… Forever." Another look of terror washes over Obadiah now that he realizes what Candace did to him.

Moloch now has a creepy grin across his face, "Just so you know how rare this is…The last person to be branded by a Hellhound, apart from you and another guy we got last week, was Hitler." And with that statement, Obadiah's eternity in Hell begins.


	11. Chapter 10

Candace's POV:

Tony, Pepper and I are all waiting backstage of a Press conference to calm the theories about what happened a week ago. All people saw was two metal men fighting and the top of the Stark Ind. factory bursting into flames. Luckily, since I didn't follow those two onto the highway, we don't also have to explain a flaming dog.

"'Iron Man', that's kinda catchy. It's got a nice ring to it. It's not technically accurate, since it's a gold-titanium alloy, but it's kinda attractive name anyway." Tony declares looking at the newspaper. I'm currently sitting beside him, cleaning up his face from the fight. "Yes, well, I, for one, am glad the suit isn't actually made out of that metal. That would be problematic to my health." I whisper to Tony low enough that Agent Phil Coulson can't get suspicious.

"Here is your alibi." Phil says, handing a bunch of notecards to Tony. "You were on your yacht. We told Pepper to put you in Avalon all night and sworn statements from 50 of your guests." Phil starts listing. Tony glances over to me as I start taking off the last bandage, "I was thinking it should say it was just Candace and me." I rip off the bandage a lot faster than he was expecting at that comment. Stupid womanizing, flirty, playboy.

Phil doesn't react to the comment, "That's what happened. Just read it word for word." Tony skims through it quickly, "There is nothing in here about Stane…" He notices. "That's been handled. He's on vacation. Small aircraft have such a poor safety record. The plane went down in flames." Phil answers.

 _ **Do they really not suspect you of having powers at all?**_ _I guess, 'check to see if they are Hellhounds' isn't in their protocol._ _ **It's still odd, all that fire and they don't even give it another look?**_ I quickly look over the 'official' report of what happened. _Apparently the fight on the roof ended up blowing up a gas tank, killing the slime._ _ **...Are humans really that dumb? The body was missing three limbs and had a paw print branded into his face!**_ _Humans tend to only see what they can understand, unless it is literally spelled out for them._ _ **They're still stupid.**_

Pepper walks Phil out as I help Tony into his suit jacket. "It's not actually that bad… Even I don't believe I'm Iron Man." I give him a look, "You're not… Right now you are simply Tony Stark." I point out. Tony just nods halfheartedly, gently placing his hands on my back, "Because if I was Iron Man I would have this girlfriend/Partner. She would always help me out, on missions, in the lab. She would always get onto me whenever I do something stupid and I do something else stupid because she is adorable when she is annoyed." Tony says, I shake my head and break away from his hold.

"Tony…" I sigh. _**What are you doing?! You have a crush on him! Why are you backing away?!**_ "Come on… I know you think about that night." Tony pushes. What, so he's a mind reader now? "What night?" I ask, faking confusion. "Oh, you know." Tony pushes, getting closer to me once again.

"You mean the night that we danced and we made fun of all of the gossip spreading about us?" I ask, occupying myself with straightening the hanky-like thing in his pocket. "And then your old girlfriend showed up and you practically forgot about me?" I finish. The smile on his face fades as I finish my sentence.

"Yeah, that night. I just want you to answer something… Why did you run away? Why are you so against this? As least give me that." Tony pleads. I think about my answer for a minute, how to make him understand what I'm saying. "Tony… I need you to understand, amongst my 'people' there is no such thing as dating. It's all or nothing." I start to explain slowly.

"You saw what happened to Obadiah because he threatened my friends… Imagine what would happen if you decided to be the player that you are and sleep with another girl…" I trail off. Tony's face whitens, "You would kill me?" He asked slightly shocked.

I quickly shake my head, "No, I would never hurt you… The instinctual territoriality and jealousy would drive me to kill the woman- the one who threatened to steal my significant other's heart." I explain, Tony seems to relax. "So you need me to promise to be faithful? Done."

I shake my head at him, "Tony… This wouldn't be something you could back out of. Ever. I need you to be both Faithful… and committed, something I know you are never going to be. So this…" I say, pointing back and forth between us, "Is never going to happen." I say, starting to walk to the stage, Tony jogs to catch up to me, "I can be committed." Tony pushes.

I roll my eyes and keep walking, "Tony...you've never had the same car for longer than a week, the same girl forever? Not going to happen." I respond. "Please, can we talk about this later… if not never? We have a fucking press conference to deal with. If you don't shut up, I will burn your arm off." I threaten. Tony mutters something to himself, not nearly quiet enough so that I can't hear it. "I will prove I can be committed to you." Yeah right.

We walked on the stage, and I let Tony take the center. "It's been awhile since I was in front of you, I figure I'll stick to the cards this time." Tony jokes to the crowd, eliciting a laugh. "There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on a freeway and the rooftop-" Tony starts before little miss what's-her-face from the party interrupts him. _**You're not jealous at all!**_ _Shut up._ _ **I think you should make me.**_ _I can make Holy fire with a bit of Holy oil, I will burn you._ _ **But it won't kill me!**_ _It will hurt._

"I'm sorry Mr. Stark, but do you honestly expect us to believe that that was a bodyguard in a suit, that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that-" The annoying blond goes on before Tony cuts her off. "I know that it's confusing...It is one thing to question the official story, and another entirely to make wild accusations or insinuate that I'm a superhero." And Tony wins the award for worst liar on the planet.

"I never said you're a superhero." The woman goes on. "You didn't? Well, good, because that would be outlandish and...fantastic." Wrap this up Tony. "I'm just not the hero type, clearly. With this...long list of character defects and all the mistakes I've made, largely in public."

I lean over to Tony, whispering in his ear, "You are a terrible liar, so either tell the truth or stick to the cards." I tell him, straightening back up. _**He is going to tell the truth isn't he?**_ _Tony Stark- The hero in iron!_ _ **Yeah, he is going to tell the truth.**_

"The truth is… I am Iron Man."

 _ **CALLED IT!**_ The crowd goes wild with questions, I step forward pushing Tony behind me to be taken away by Rhodey. "HEY!" I shout, "CALM DOWN!" My voice echoing throughout the hall, getting everyone to shut up.

"You were informed beforehand that Tony would not be answering any questions. While it is not as big a scoop as getting an interview with 'Iron Man'," I say, finger quoting, "I would like to put some of the more outlandish rumors about me to rest. So! Any questions for me?" I ask, doing my best to calm the crowd, or at least redirect their attention. It seems to work, as many hands go up.

I see Tony's one night stand, I think her name is Christina? Standing in front. I'm gonna ignore her. I don't want to talk to her. I want to burn her face off. I point at another girl, looks like she's from 17 magazine? She asks me "Is there a reason none of the press can 'find any dirt' on you?" I nod and reply, "There's nothing on me to begin with. You won't find a birth certificate, social security number, phone number, or any official documents on me. There was nothing for me to erase. I grew up in a pretty remote place, and it was pretty lawless- no authorities, no police… I grew up in fear. After many, many years in a place I can only describe as hell, I ran. Traveled for many months, ended up in Afghanistan, kidnapped by the same people who got Tony. We helped each other escape. When he found out I had nowhere to turn Tony offered me a place to stay...A safe house of sorts from the demons-in-charge back home." I answer.

All of the reporters are scurrying to write down my every word. _**Let's play, 'how much truth can I say before people get suspicious'!**_ _Apparently a lot._ Hands start racing to the air again, I point to a random man in the second row. "Where did you grow up? The name of the town, for example?" He asks. _**How are you going to get out of this one?**_

"Hell… I refuse to call it by anything other than what it truly is…" I answer, still telling the truth. More hands fly into the air, I again point randomly, "You said 'safe house', does that mean the people who 'ran' your hometown are after you?" "It is a safe house, because the people in my hometown are indeed trying to hurt me. I wouldn't be surprised at all if members of my own family were sent to kill me. They have a 'join or die' policy. If I am found I will be killed immediately." I respond, still being completely honest.

More hands pop up, "If this is true, then why are you saying this on national TV?" A random brunette asks, I shrug my shoulders, "You don't exactly get cable in Hell." I respond. I still ignore the blond that Tony slept with and I can see it is starting to get to her. The blond doesn't even bother to raise her hand, she just shouts out her question, "Did you sleep with Tony Stark in order to acquire this safe house?"

I glare daggers into her soul, her manipulative, cold hearted soul. I really want to torch her right now, burn her to ashes, then scorch the remains, but that isn't the best idea. I calm the rage in my gut and give her a smile, I'll just have to burn her in another way.

"No, I did not sleep with Tony Stark. Unlike you, he helped me because I am his friend, not because I'm just another blond who is using him for a story, money or promotion. On the other hand, if you're asking me if I slept with Mr. Stark, is that because you're jealous that _I_ did, or jealous that you weren't called back? Or… Are you jealous of _him?_ If you wanna hook up with me, I'm game. Invite me over, anytime. If you can handle me, that is." I blow her a kiss just for effect. _**Big gamble. I don't think she'll take your offer, so you should be ok.**_ _That's what I was counting on._

Her face goes bright red, and I move on. The next person asks another question about my love life, "While that was entertaining… It begs the question…What is your sexuallity?" _**You should have seen that one coming.**_ _No no no, I'm ok with it._ "I think I'm kinda open to whomever. Pansexual, panromantic, but once I meet that special someone, which I haven't, I'm not moving on." _**Oh, that's why. You're not ready for that commitment to Tony yet.**_ _I thought you knew… that's why I'm not dating him. Or you. Especially not you._ _ **Ow, that hurt. I understand though. Ok, any other reporters you wanna roast? In the figurative sense, of course.**_ _Two more._

"What is your main job at the moment?" A man asks. "Currently, I'm a graphics designer," _**Technically true.**_ "I will occasionally do some art commissions, so if anyone wants a picture for their living room, I can paint or sketch something nice for you. I also sing in the shower. That's about it." Last question of the day. "What was your former occupation?" another person asks. "Running for my life. As I said, the demons-in-charge are probably tracking me down." I respond. I look at the time. "I think Tony's waiting for me in the limo, so I'm gonna go. I hope my answers are to your satisfaction." I make a 'call me' gesture to Blondie in the first row, then stalk off toward backstage. I wonder if she is actually going to call me? _**You didn't give her your phone number…**_ _Should I go back and fix that?_ _ **Just keep walking, idiot.**_ _She'll find it anyway, somehow._

I walk out to the car, getting in the door Happy is holding open for me. "What took you so long?" Tony asks, immediately handing me a Bacon Cheeseburger that I'm guessing Gabe put into the car. _**Yup!**_ "I may or may not have flirted with a woman to the point she couldn't speak as revenge…" I trail off, taking a bite of this heavenly meal.

"Wait….So you will flirt with a random girl because you don't like her, but won't date me?" Tony asks after my words sink into the thick skull of his. _**Or me?!**_ I just shrug my shoulders and nod. "I guess so. I should add, she was one of your one night stands."

Tony almost chokes on his burger. "Which one?" "Tall-ish reporter girl, blond, total bitch?" "Christine? Oh, I'm kinda glad you put her in her place. What did she say to piss you off?" he asks, returning to his burger. "She asked if I slept with you to 'acquire this safe house'." "And what did you say in return?" I retell the story, embellishing small bits of it. I leave out the fact I didn't even give her my number.

"Anything happen to you after you left the stage?" I ask him. Tony shrugs. "Not really. Pepper was a bit upset, as was Agent. Otherwise, it was uneventful." _**For once he's actually not lying horribly.**_ _Oh, shut up._ _ **Make me. Oh, that's not a good thing to say…**_ _Yeah, please don't say that._ _**I'll come up with something else.**_

We arrive back at the mansion and I go up to my room. Almost as soon as I lie down on my bed, there's an earsplitting scream coming from Tony's room. _Gabriel what the fuck did you do this time?_ _ **Nothing he didn't deserve. I think you'll like it.**_ _Ok…_ I walk over to his room, and as soon as I enter, I am almost blinded by sparkles.

There is glitter everywhere- walls, ceiling, bed, bathroom, floor- Holy God, what did you do, Gabe? _**Glitter bombs. That was a lot of fun. Hey, hey, hey, watch this!**_ I run and stand just outside the room, and I hear a 'pop'\- almost like a balloon. I re-enter, and Tony is covered in glitter glue.

"Oh, no… I ain't helping you clean that shit up." I mutter to Tony. He looks completely crestfallen. "Why did it have to be bright pink glitter?" "J, help Tony clean up the room, please… I need to go and laugh for the rest of eternity." _Nice one, Gabriel._ _ **Thanks. I left some stuff in your room too.**_ _Not glitter?_ _ **Nah. Just some stuff you could destroy.**_ _Ok. Can I have some mochi?_ _ **Sure, I guess. It's in your room.**_ _Thank you so much._

I enter my room, and it's stacked with bottles of gasoline, firewood, and a note attached to a box of mochi. It reads 'Dearest Candace, here is some stuff if you would like to torch the entirety of Malibu. If not, I can get rid of it. Also, here's your damn mochi.' _I don't need to torch all of Malibu, just Everhart's home. One gallon of Gasoline, a bit of firewood, and the mochi stays. Please get rid of the excess._ _ **Alright… can I torch her house for you?**_ _Just a little bit. Don't, like, destroy it._ _ **Ok.**_

The news channels completely flip out over the press conference- Tony announcing he's a damn superhero, me telling about my past, Everhart's burn… They're going crazy. "Miss Armina told about her past, her history with Tony Stark, and a few other things- coming up next." I turn off the TV. I'm so done with the press. Can't I have a break? Of course, if something big happens, like them finding out that I'm a fucking hellhound, I'm gonna shoot myself with an iron bullet.

JARVIS speaks up. "Miss Armina, there are two men at the door. They're saying you invited them?" I don't remember inviting anyone…I hesitantly walk out of my room, down the stairs and towards the front door. I don't smell demons or monsters so I'm guessing whoever is at the front door is human. One of them smells like a mix between a human and demon...The last person who smelled like this...was addicted to demon blood. Great! I pity whoever is at the door, detox is Hell.

I open the door the tall one asks, "Hello, are you Candace Armina?" When I say tall one, I really just mean the taller one of these two ridiculously tall men. "Who are you two? You look familiar, just can't place you." I ask cautiously. I'm trying to avoid direct eye contact- my eyes are bright red, after all. "I'm not gonna report you to the feds, if that's what you're worried about." The shorter of the tall ones responds, "Dean Winchester. This is my brother, Sam." Oh, shit. Shit shit shit shit SHIT. I remember where I know them from.

The one I dragged down- The last one I dragged down. I didn't realize I was cursing repeatedly outloud. "What are you so upset about? You invited us here!" Dean asks. "I didn't realise I was hosting a man come back from the dead." I retort. "I heard about everything from my contact. He's one of your friends. I dunno if he's here right now, though. Please, come in! Mind telling me why you're here?" I ask opening the door a bit wider.

"Uh...we got a text from you." Dean says, flipping open his phone to show me.

' _My name is Candace Armina. I am a fellow hunter. I would like to establish a somewhat friendly relationship with the other hunters out there, and I was wondering if you would be willing to come to my place to talk… I've got beer and Bacon Cheeseburgers._

Well, that explains a lot. Gabriel brought them here and used my phone to do it. I sigh, "I didn't send that text, this is all just an annoying prank from a friend of mine. But since you came all this way, I'm sure I can get you something to drink." I say, to the boys.

They walk in, and immediately a song comes over the speaker systems.

"It was the heat of the moment!  
Telling me what my heart meant.  
The heat of the moment  
Shone in your eyes…"

Sam's face pales. "Oh no…" "I didn't play that… J, what's going on?" I ask JARVIS. "My systems have been overridden, miss." _**Hello, boys.**_ _You invited them._ _ **WE HAVE A WINNER!**_ _You will die slowly._ _ **Good luck.**_ _You literally invited the most deadly hunters to a hellhound's home. You've invented a new kind of stupid. Congratulations._ "JARVIS, shut it up. Or, if that isn't possible, tell our guest to get his prankster ass down here. Get Tony, too." Sam looks confused, terrified, and in awe, all at once. "Nice tech you got here." "Oh, I didn't design this. Tony did." Dean's jaw drops. "Tony… Stark?" "Yep. Also, he might be a while- a prank went wrong- or rather, right- and he's covered in neon pink glitter."

"GABRIEL GET YOUR FEATHERY ASS DOWN HERE NOW!" I shout as the music stops coming from the speakers. "AND REMOVE ALL THE GLITTER FROM TONY'S ROOM." At the sound of a snap and the rustling of feathers, our resident Archangel Trickster lands in the foyer. "You're no fun." He pouts at me before turning to the boys, "Hello Boys! Long time no see!" The Archangel sings.

The Winchesters don't know what in the world is going on. I walk calmly up to the Archangel before swiftly slapping him in the face, leaving a red handprint on his cheek. "I'm not sure what the fuck goes on in your brain, but this was a stupid idea, even for you." I whisper in his ear, "What if they find out what I am? They'll kill me. Please, don't make me go back there." I say, fighting a shiver at the thought of any of the monster afterlives.

"Can someone please tell me what the Hell is going on!" Dean shouts, sounding quite confused. I turn around to face The Winchester, both of which somehow have acquired a wooden stake since I last looked at them. "The Trickster here, decided it would be funny to invite you over to my place because he was bored.. Actually, that seems to be his motivation for anything he does."

The boys narrow their eyes at me, "If you're a hunter...Why aren't you trying to kill him?" Sam asks, prepared to attack at any minute. Gabe happily lays his elbow on my shoulder, "Because we're besties!" He announces cheerfully.

This is when Tony decides to make his appearance from upstairs, "I finally got all of the glitter off!" "I told you to help him! You did nothing. I swear I'm gonna get a binding spell someday." I say, shaking my head, "I cleaned up his room like you asked!" Gabe defends. _Son of a bitch_ _ **.**_

This is when Tony notices the Archangel. "Ughh! Why is Gabriel still here?! Don't you have some Archangel business to get to?" Tony complains, coming down the stairs. "No, you don't understand- this is my 'Archangel business'. I invited some friends! Come meet them!" He looks so damn happy- he looks like a kid who's proud of a project he did at school. _**I do not.**_ _Please stop._ _ **I'll stop later.**_ "Gabriel, we don't need to use telepathy when you are right next to me!"

"Hold it, Hold it, Hold on for just a second…" Dean interrupts, "The Trickster, the same one who has killed me about a hundred times-" "142" "-Is actually the Archangel Gabriel?" He asks, ignoring Gabe's interruption. He then turns to me, "You're best friends with an Archangel, a hunter _and_ living with Tony Freakin' Stark?!" Dean sums up.

I nod, "My life does sound kinda crazy when you put it like that…" I trail off. I was also the Hound to drag you down to Hell but I'm not going to tell you that because you would most likely kill me. Sam stumbles his way past Gabriel and I to lay down on the sofa, Dean not too far behind him.

I sit across from them, beside Tony on the other couch. Gabriel takes the recliner all to himself. "Okay, so let's just focus on the other hunter in the room and not the Archangel that has tried to kill us." Sam suggest. Dean seems to like the idea and straightens up a bit. "So… umm. I'm Candace. I'm a hunter." I start slowly, trying to break the ice. "I'm Sam Winchester, also a hunter, and Dean's brother." "I'm Dean, a hunter, and Sam's brother. I'm older than him, though it may not look like it." "I'm Tony Stark, engineer, billionaire, and philanthropist." "I'm Gabriel, Trickster, and an Archangel." We all ignore Gabe.

"How does a Hunter end up living with Tony Stark?" Dean asks...Is he a Tony Stark fanboy? God, I hope not. "That is a very long story…" "We have time…." "It started as I was driving down a highway in Montana…" I start, giving them almost every detail, including those two months in the cave. I kept out the fact I am a Hellhound and I can control fire. I basically catch them up from Montana to now.

The boys go quiet for a minute, "So you've gotten out of the life...Yet have had a crazier few months than most people in the life...How does that work?" Sam asks. "Oh, I'm not out of the life. Trust me. I've gone on a few hunts." It's Tony's turn to look confused, "When was this? I don't remember you traveling to go hunt down monsters." "The night you saved the world. Well, at least most of the US. Remember? You set fire to the sky." He nods. "Right."

"I've also gone out a few other times...Mostly when you're preoccupied in the lab, all I've been able to find in the surrounding states is a Windigo, a couple of ghost and a dumb shapeshifter." Tony narrows his eyes at me, "And I didn't notice those times because…?" "You were busy building the suit and I was never gone for more than a day. Once you fall down the rabbit hole you don't notice when things are missing for weeks." I point out.

"I guess you're right." He mutters. "Anyway, boys, any big cases lately? I mean, besides the Trickster." Sam sighs, then says "I'm not sure if you heard, but the seals are being broken. The apocalypse is coming." Tony freezes up, "What?" He whispers, I let out a small growl of annoyance, "You had to tell him! I was keeping that away from him for a reason!" I mutter in annoyance.

"Why? Why did you not want me to know that the world is ending?!" Tony asks, his voice slowly raising, "Because you have this odd hero complex where if _anything_ is wrong with the world you have to fix it." I answer calmly.

Dean interupts me before I can continue, "How did you know? That the world is ending?" He says, staring at me, or more specifically my eyes. I point over to Gabe, "He keeps me updated on pretty much everything, even the righteous man that is foretold to stop it." I say ominously.

Sam turns to Gabe, while Dean continues to stare at me. "You're watching us?!" Sam asks in shock, "Don't feel bad. I'm bouncing around in her subconscious most of the time." Gabriel says pointing to me. Dean, still staring at me, speaks up, "Have we met before this?" He asks suddenly. That's not good.

"It's just something about you that seems so familiar….I think it's your eyes, but I think I would remember a pretty girl with red eyes…" Dean trails off, almost speaking to himself. I plaster on a convincing fake smile, "I don't know what-" "Your voice too, I'm almost certain we have met before." _Shit- he knows, doesn't he._ _ **He's just piecing it together- going through his Hell memories. He doesn't want to, though.**_ _Please don't let him figure it out yet let me have a little longer._ _ **I won't be able to stall him for long. I'll try, though.**_ "It must be my mind going a bit crazy. I just feel like I know you." he says. "If you don't remember, that's fine. I believe we have met before, but it was at a rather unpleasant time. I think we would both rather forget it." I say. "I'll puzzle this out later. In the meantime, you got any beers?" Dean puts on a cheerful front that's totally fake, but I don't bother to call him out on it. "Yeah, we got beers. We got whiskey, scotch, rum, take your pick." Tony calls out, walking toward the bar. "I'm good, thanks." Sam declines. "Scotch on the rocks. Man, nice place you got here." Dean starts.

"Must be a great place to live." "Oh, it's perfect. Beaches, mountains, meadows, everything's close by. Cities less than 20 minutes' drive from here- not that we like going to cities. I'm sick of press conferences, to be completely honest. The one today was draining." Sam nods, "I think I watched a bit of that online- the one where Tony told the world he was Iron Man?"

"Yeah, that one. He left the conference early, but I stayed behind to clear up some crazy-as-all-fuck rumours. There was one rumour that I was an illegal immigrant, another that I was a terrorist trying to seduce Tony, and then, the truth- There's no dirt on me, no nothing they can use. JARVIS, pull up the video clip?" I request of the AI. "Right away, miss." Dean just about drops his drink. "Son of a bitch!" "Dean, that is what is known as an Artificial Intelligence. Tony designed JARVIS, or Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, as a 'robot butler', but J can do so much more." I say, as though I were talking to a child. "I was startled." "Oh, you should have seen me when I first met J- I basically jumped up about 10 feet in the air." The video clip of the press con plays, and Sam and Dean learn about my skill with words.

"Dean, NO, leave the girl alone." When they got to the question about my sexuality, Dean looked towards me all flirty. My 'I am not amused' face switched on, full blast, and I pulled a Pepper Potts-esque "No." Gabe said in the background, "You've got an actual angel to fall in love with! And no, it's not me!" _Ew, why would anyone date you?_ _ **I'm insulted.**_ _Who even are you talking about?_ _ **Castiel's supposed to fall in love with Squirrel.**_ _Oh. That's assuming everyone survives the apocalypse._

Past-me wraps up the press con, and JARVIS shuts the video off. "Any other questions?" I ask. "Umm, yeah… your home was really called 'Hell'?" Dean asks, rather rudely. I guess he gets that way after a few drinks. "Yes." "I think that's all." Tony says, putting away the liquor bottles. "You guys have a place to sleep tonight?" "No, we were thinking about getting a place downtown." Sam responds. "JARVIS, prepare some guest rooms, please." I ask politely. I may have been raised in hell but I have manners! "You're staying here tonight. You don't need to pay us, or anything. This is a safe house for you guys, complete with demon warding!"

Sam looks somewhat relieved. "Thanks, Candace. We really appreciate it." "No worries. Just don't fuck around with Tony's experiments, and you'll survive." "I heard that!" Tony yells in the distance.


	12. Chapter 11

**AN: Around here is when it goes from kinda crazy to Gabriel's messing with the time line while Tony drinks his morning coffee weird. A shout out to my wonderful readers. A special shout out to HEART OF THE FLAMING SEA. Your reviews never fail to both make me laugh and motive NighmareHunter676 and I. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know we had fun writing it.**

 **(P.S. We wrote most of this chapter at 2 AM. I blame that for its craziness.)**

 **Candace's pov**

We awake the next morning to 'Heat of the Moment' playing through the PA systems. Again. _If you're gonna torture Sam, don't torture the rest of us._ _ **I swear, you don't let me have any fun.**_ _I actually have things to do, so I don't need you bouncing around today. I don't wanna look like a madwoman._ _ **Mad dog, actually.**_ _Well, they don't know that! I'd like to keep it that way. Let's enjoy the time we have without the government breathing down my neck._

"Miss Armina, it's 8:30 in the morning, on the 24th of September. You have a meeting at 7 p.m., here at Stark Industries, with Agent Coulson of SHIELD." "Thank you, JARVIS." I pick up my phone and call Gabriel. "Mind bringing over some breakfast?" "Wow, you actually called me!" "First off, you told me not to pray, and second, your number is seared into my brain. So, do you mind bringing over some breakfast?" "You want Cinnamon buns or French toast?" "Eh, bring both." "You got it. Be in the dining room in 5 minutes."

I clean up, get dressed, get ready for the day, and walk out to the dining room. Dean is already there, devouring the French toast. Sam is enjoying some fruit salad. _**Always with the salad…**_ "You boys enjoying the Gabriel-sent food?" I say, pointing out the fact that it's Trickster brought. "Best French toast I've ever had. Also, the coffee is fabulous." Dean mumbles, his mouth full of what look to be his third slice of French Toast. "Dean, swallow your food before you talk." Sam reprimands. "Sam, are you the mom-friend?" "Someone has to be- Dean doesn't know what he's doing half the time." "I do so!" They argue for a few moments, then Tony walks in, looking like he's gotten almost no sleep. "Tony, you can smell the coffee from 30 feet away. Did you sleep at all?" Sam asks, almost mom-like. "No… I was working on Mark 4."

I facepalm. "Tony, I told you to sleep eight hours ago. For hell's sake, please, go rest. Don't make me call Pepper." Tony's face blanches, and he runs upstairs. "Lock him out of the lab until he's gotten at least 4 hours of sleep, J." "Yes, Miss Armina." "Hell's sake? That's a new one…" Dean starts. "Don't, Dean… just don't." I cut him off. "Why did you say that?" "I lived in Hell, may as well use the term." I said quickly. Gabriel zaps in, bringing Castiel (I assume it's Castiel) with him. "Dean, Sam, there's news- another seal's broken." He turns to me, and his angel blade appears. "What's _she_ doing here?"

"Umm, she's providing a safe house. What do you mean, 'what's she doing here'?" Sam stands up. _Fuck… I'm gonna get outed by an angel. Probably killed by one, too._ "What's that abomination doing here?" Castiel starts, again. "I didn't want to tell them, but you leave me no fucking choice. Damn it, Castiel." Gabe tries to hold him back. My eyes glow red, and I start speaking in a layered voice- high, my normal tone, low- all at once. "Boys, you might wanna look away for this one." My bones begin rearranging themselves, skin and fur covering my flaming organs. I'm shifting into my hound form, and I can't control it. "God fucking damn it! What did you do to me?" I growl, forcing myself to sit. "I can't stop him, Candace. You gotta either run or fight." Gabe says desperately. I'm not gonna run away, but I've never faced an angel in a fight. "Don't fucking send me back, don't send me back, don't send me back, I had enough with _her_ tortures!" I whine and howl, before shifting back to my human form and charging toward the side door. "JARVIS, I need my headset. Now, please." I whisper, my voice raw from growling. I take a back way into the lab and grab my headset and rocket boots, before launching from the front lawn into the sky.

 _Gabriel, do something, do anything!_ _**I don't know, what am I supposed to do?**_ _I could barely keep from torching everything and everyone- what do I do? Why couldn't you have left your idiot brother somewhere else?_ _ **Ugh! Listen, I have a plan, but it's risky. I mean- the plan literally involves you dying. But the end result is that nobody remembers the incident, and I bring you back. Do you want to do it?**_ _How fast does your mind even work? Ugh, I'll do it. But this takes off one of your favours. I'm only gonna owe you one. Just make sure you get to me before she does._ _ **Oh, fuck. Whatever. Just get back to the mansion, land on the front lawn, shift into your hound form, and fight Castiel. He's gonna kill you- he's stronger- but once you're gone, I'm gonna wipe everyone's memory, including Castiel's, and bring you back. He and Sam and Dean will leave, and you'll be fine.**_ _Sounds ok. I don't like it, but we should do it… And Gabe… I'm trusting you… Please don't make me stay there…_ _ **Never.**_

I turn around and fly back to the mansion. "J, where's Castiel?" I ask, through my headset. "Currently on the south lawn." "Showtime. Shit." I touch down, kick off my rocket boots, and shift into my skeletal hound form. "What are you doing here?" Castiel asks, menacingly. "Trying to do better. Trying to make up for dragging people like Dean Winchester into Hell." I shoot back, growling and circling him. Even in his vessel, Castiel's pretty impressive. "And I'm the one who dragged him out. You truly shouldn't have done that." "What choice did I have? I was under _her_ control." My layered voice shows through, and I charge toward the angel and pin him to the ground. I leave his blade hand free, and he stabs me through my ribs into what would be my heart.

{page break}

I wake up, and I'm in the worst hell of all. Tartarus. I've landed near the Lethe- fortunately, not IN it. _Gabriel, now would be a nice time to pull me out… Before she realizes I am back within her grasp._ Tartarus is literally a deity in itself- Tartarus makes up the land and Nyx makes up the night sky. Terrifying thought, I know. I run toward the gates, leaping over several branches of the Lethe and Acheron, Avoiding any monsters down here as well. Hellhounds are hated everywhere. Once I reach the gates, I stand and wait, fighting off any other monsters that show up. I'm not sure how long I stand there, but once Gabriel comes to the gates to liberate me, I know for a fact that I'm more dead than I was when Castiel stabbed me.

"I kept them in a time loop for a week before I could come down here. Once we get back up, it'll be the morning of the 24th, and I won't have brought Castiel. You'll wake up in your bed, and you and I will be the only ones who remember any of this. JARVIS will know, too, but there'll be no footage or audio. Tony's still asleep. He actually got his sleep, instead of running off of coffee fumes all night. Just rest, for now."

We must have looked a strange pair- an Archangel carrying a hellhound back to the Land of the Living.

I was simply glad to leave the whole incident to the nonexistent past.

{page break}

The 'next' morning, I wake up to Heat of the Moment. Again. "Miss Armina, it's 8:30 in the morning, on the 24th of September. You have a meeting at 7 p.m., here at Stark Industries, with Agent Coulson of SHIELD." "Thank you, JARVIS." "Are you alright?" He asks, with as much concern as an AI could have. My voice must have wavered. "I'm not alright, J, but I hope to be soon. Thank you for asking." "I am here if you need to talk, Miss Armina."

I walk downstairs, eat an apple, then run to the lab. "J, call Tony down here. I'm sure he got enough sleep to function today. We have a meeting later. I don't need him half drunk or something. I would like for us to make some progress on Mark 4." "Of course, Miss." Tony stumbles down, maybe 5 minutes later, and glares at me. "You look like you got beat up, pretty badly." He mumbles, still half asleep.

I look at myself in a reflective pane of glass, and assess the damage. Major bruising on my arms, neck and face- cuts all over my chest and neck- my voice is raspy, I'm also covered in gold monster dust… No wonder he thinks I got in a bar fight. "I'll live. Do you want to work on the Mark 4 suit today? I think it would be nice if we had even one project to show to Agent Coulson tonight." Tony looks at me funnily, then realization dawns on his face. "Right- the debriefing. Yeah." _**For a genius, he's kinda dumb sometimes.**_ _Pot, meet kettle._

After a while Sam and Dean come down stairs, "Wow! That was the best sleep I have had in forever!" Dean says, as he notices it's 11:30. I see that they are still here. "Yeah, that's what'll happen the first time you sleep on a real bed after years of dirt and cheap hotels." I point out, adjusting the wires in the leg Tony put me in charge of. My contribution down here has increased exponentially after Tony taught me everything I would need to know.

Dean takes a quick look at me, "Holy shit, You look like Hell." He comments, noticing my appearance. "Yeah… I ran into a couple Empousai last night." I say, I should probably shower to get all of the monster dust off. "What the Hell is an Empousa?!" Dean asks. "It's a greek Vampire, created by Hecate." Sam answers easily, "I want to know...Why did you take on a nest alone?"

I raise I single eyebrow at him, still working on the leg. "Empousai don't have nests...They just wander around in packs, killing anything they come across." I correct, "Sometimes they pretend to be high school cheerleaders to feed off of the guys."

I ignore the haunted look that passes over Dean's face, "Still...Why did you hunt them alone?" Sam asks, "I went out for a couple hours- just walking down the beach when I ran into them." I say, lying easily. _**You're technically not lying. You were walking down the beach of the Acheron when you ran into them.**_

Dean claps his hands, "Anyway! We have to get back on the road, we were wondering if you would come along… Help stop the end of the world in all. Another Hunter would be a huge help." He asks. Tony looks up quickly, with an expression of fear on his face.

I stop working for a minute to look at the boys in the eyes. "Are you familiar with the name _Lilith_?" I ask, despite already knowing the answer. I have to choke out the name. The name itself brings memories I would rather forget. Dean's hands clench in anger, with a small twinge of fear. "What about her?" He asks, fighting to keep his voice steady. "I have gotten on her bad side, got a nice big target painted on the back of my head. Every single demon out there has orders to kill me. Bringing me along is more trouble than it's worth." I explain.

"And you think she doesn't want _us_ dead?" Dean asks. "Not as badly as she does me." I respond, getting back to work. "So you're running!" Dean taunts, Normally I would never dignify these schoolyard taunts with a response, but this makes me snap. I whip around to him quickly and say something he probably never expected me to say, "Yes, I'm running away. Because I am _terrified_ of her." I hiss. I quickly write down my number on a piece of scrap paper lying around, "Call me if you need help with research or what not. I'm still going to help you in anyway I can, I'm just staying off the front lines." I say, handing Sam the piece of paper.

I walk them upstairs and out the door to their Impala, "I'm want to help you in anyway I can, I'm just not much help if I'm dead." I say, Sam and Dean get into the car and roll down the window so I can continue talking to them. "I understand, sorta." Dean shrugs his shoulders before pointing a single finger at me, "And I will find out where I know you from!" He declares.

"Sure thing." "Here's the thing I don't understand, What did you do to get Lilith to want you dead more than _us?_ We're the ones actively hunting her down." Sam speaks up. I chuckle lightly, "Trust me..You don't want to know… The demons in my closet are even darker than yours."

"We will uncover all of these secrets of yours!" Dean promises, I nod, "I'm sure you will, but not quite yet." I say, backing up from the car with a wink. "Call me anytime, boys!" I call out, walking back into the house. "JARVIS, what time is it?" I ask.

"It is currently 12:03 P.M. You have 6 hours and 57 minutes before your meeting with Agent Phil Coulson." The AI responds, inferring why I am asking. Good, Tony is going to stay downstairs working on MARK-4, so I am free to my own devices.

I scurry out the back door and down the hundreds of stairs that lead to the beach. I'm sure Tony has an Elevator somewhere, but I've been getting out of shape anyway. I guess that will happen when you have a diet consisting of only Bacon Cheeseburgers and Archangel food.

I walk down across the rocks until I am only a few feet away from the ledge. Unlike with Zeus, I am actually on good terms with Poseidon. Well, more like he doesn't care if I'm in his territory or not. I get out the Stark Phone that Tony insisted I have and dial the Archangel's number.

After the first ring I hear a voice behind me, "You wanna tell me why you look like you're about to jump?" Gabriel asks. I guess it does look like that doesn't it? Me standing at the edge of a cliff with the ocean below. If you look up you would see the part of the mansion that hangs over the ocean.

I face Gabe, "I need your help." "Well, I gathered that! That's all you ever call me for! Favors and Food!" The trickster complains. "So...Whatcha need?" I take a second to figure out how to ask this… "I want you to teach me to fight Angels." A absolutely comical look of surprise and shock flashes over his features. "...What?"

"After what happened earlier 'today' I realized I am practically useless in a fight against angels. Castiel took me down almost instantly. I want you to teach me to fight Angels. How to beat their fighting styles, how to avoid their instant smiting habit and things like that." I explain.

Gabriel just stares at me for a moment, obviously trying to figure something out. "...Are you sure you want me to teach you? I'm not going to coddle." Gabriel warns. "I honestly don't think your teaching methods can be worse than a demon's." I point out, "Plus, I kinda need to be able to defend myself against Angels." I add, as an afterthought.

A smirk grows across Gabriel's face and false tears start falling from his eyes, "I-I a-al-always w-wa-wanted an a-a-apprentice." He pretends to blubber. "Oh, be quiet. I'm actually gonna learn from you. I'm not fucking around." I growl, annoyed.

Gabe holds his hands up in surrender, "Okay!" His expression changed so quickly that it kinda scared me, "This is going to be so much fun!" And thus, I began my long stay at training camp Gabriel.

[Page Break]

After about six hours- Six hours of stupid exercises like pushups, situps, even stupid planks, JARVIS interrupts our training session by making my calling my phone. I pant as I get up and answer the phone, "Yes, J?" "Miss, you have an hour before your meeting with Agent Phil Coulson, It is recommended you get ready now." "Okay, I'll be up in a minute." I huff, still trying to catch my breath.

"Well, do this again every day from after breakfast until lunch, then you're free to work with Tony in the lab." Gabriel comments like we didn't just finish a dumb 10 mile run. Is this really the training regimen for angels?! "No, this is the daily warm up for angels. Graduation is 50 miles under a time limit with no wings."

I just sit there for a minute, that explains a lot… demon's don't even bother with physical training, all of their training involves using their powers for hours upon hours straight. If Angels are so much stronger than demons, train so much harder… Then why are so many seals breaking?

"Angels train their powers in a similar fashion as well, they just finish the physical training first. Being physically fit allows energy to flow easier." Gabe comments. I nod and stand up, starting to catch my breath. I can hold my fire for six hours, but running only ten miles felt impossible. In my human form anyway- it's actually quite simple to run that far in my true form.

I start up the unbelievably tall stairs as Gabe keeps talking. "If you train in your human form your true form will get better at the same rate, but that is not true the other way around." The trickster says walking behind me. After what seems like a million stairs I get back to the mansion. A rustle of feathers tells me that Gabriel left to go wherever it is he goes when he isn't here. _**I pull pranks on jerks.**_ _Glad to know you've been doing something productive._

I quickly bound upstairs and into my bedroom. I take a quick shower, relishing in the feeling of being free from all of the dirt, blood, sweat and golden monster dust. Why didn't I shower earlier? I swiftly get dressed in something professional. Just a red button up and some black pants. Checking the time, I realise I have ten minutes before Coulson arrives.

I swiftly head down the stairs and wait on the couch. At 7 o'clock, exactly, "Miss, Agent Coulson along with two other agents, is at the door." JARVIS announces. I walk over and open the door. The three men are all standing there with their hands behind their back, military style.

The man in front is tall, not Sam tall but close, African American, bald and has an eyepatch covering his left eye. He is wearing a long, black overcoat. The brief feel I get from his soul is that he is a natural born leader, thinks everything through and doesn't take any BS.

Phil is standing behind eyepatch and to his left. On the right is another man I don't recognise. About the same height as Phil, maybe a little taller. He has blondish brownish hair that looks like he never bothers with it. The personality I read from him is that of a good soldier, a family man and a prankster when he wants to be.

I ignore the two men I don't recognise and turn to Phil. "Agent Coulson, I didn't realize you would be bringing more people to our private meeting." I say, placing a fake smile onto my face. "Miss Armina, I am Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD. This is Agent Clint Barton, we would like to speak with you and Mr. Tony Stark." Eyepatch says before Phil can even open his mouth.

I nod and open the door for them, "Please come in…" I say, directing them towards the lounge. "...The Director, huh? That seems like a big deal for just a simple debriefing…" I trail off, allowing them to hear my suspicion. "You're right, this is more than a debriefing. With Obadiah gone there is no need for the debrief anyway. We need to talk to Mr. Stark and you for a separate mater." Phil answers.

I give them a small smile before moving to stand up, "Well, Tony apparently forgot, again. I'll go get him from down stairs." I say. "There is no need…" Fury interjects, "...It's probably best if we had this conversation without him here." What is he talking about?

My confusion must have shown through because Barton gestures back to the couch, "Why don't you take a seat?" I hesitantly sit down, why wouldn't they want Tony here? "Miss Armina…" Fury starts, "...We know that you possess powers." He answers. I can feel color draining from my face. "I don't know-" "We have the footage from different cameras. It's pretty strange, coming from different accounts. This happened a few days ago." "Is that what you have? Are you done?"

What am I going to do? What am I going to do? This is bad. Am I going to have to run? Am I going to have to look over my shoulder for both Humans and Demons?! _**Calm down! Figure out what they know and what they want before you do anything drastic!**_

I take a few deep breaths and apply a emotionless facade to my face. "What is this meeting really about?" I ask, not letting anything be gathered from my tone. Barton looks impressed by the shield (pun intended) I placed around my emotions. "We just want to ask you a few questions, along with make you an offer…" Phil says softly, as if he is expecting me to run at a moment's notice. _**You kinda are.**_ _Shut up._ _ **Nah.**_

"And these questions include?" I ask, keeping my eyes and ears open for their slightest movement. They seem to relax slightly seeing as I'm cooperating...To some extent. I watch carefully as Fury reaches into his coat and pulls out a recording device.

"Let's start simple then. Why did you kill Obadiah Stane?" Fury asks. That is simple? "He was trying to kill Tony and I. Self defense." I answer, walking over to the bar and coming back with some scotch along with some glasses. I pour myself a glass, gesturing to them in silent question if they want any.

"No, thanks," Phil waves off, "How did you get your abilities?" So they know I have abilities, but they do not know what I am or where I am truly from. That's good. "Born with them." I respond easily, taking a sip of my drink.

Fury opened his mouth to open another question but Barton cut him off, leaning forward and excitedly asking, "What are your powers? You know, besides the fire?" He asks like a kid in a candy factory. 'What does this do?!'

 _Gabe? You still here?_ _ **Yours Truly will always be around when you need help, beautiful!**_ _Whatever, which powers do you think are safe to tell them about?_ _ **Well, unless you want to explain to them about the supernatural, I wouldn't mention your true form is a hound. Everything else seems pretty safe… Probably want to leave out the iron bit.**_ _Good call._

I summon a small flame in my hand before manipulating it into different shapes, a dragon, fiery yin-yang, and a flaming hound for irony. "Well, I am in complete control of fire. I can manipulate its shape, color and even heat." I say, changing the color of the flames to blue, green and back to red.

Barton shakes his head, "Yeah, We know about the fire… Any others?" He asks, still watching and listening intently. I nod my head slightly. I will myself to be not seen by anything other than a being of Hell. It's too bad my invisibility doesn't work against demons, that would solve so many of my problems. _**Is that really an Ability when all Hounds can do that?**_ _They will consider it one._

I allow myself to be seen again, Fury remained stone faced and unimpressed. Phil is trying to stay stoic but I can see his eyes widened slightly. Clint isn't even trying to hide his shock, eyes wide, jaw dropped, the whole nine yards. I guess they weren't expecting that.

Phil clears his throat, "Okay, so, you also have Invisibility." He says, I nod even though it wasn't a question. "Does your family also have powers?" Phil asks, Fury has remained quiet, no real reaction to anything. How should I answer this question… My nieces and nephews are all idiots that have not inherited the true powers of a Hound. My parents and siblings however, each have different powers.

"...Some of them have powers, the others do not." I answer carefully, trying not to give away something important. "Elaborate." Phil pushes. "My nieces and nephews are powerless, while my parents and siblings do." I say. Fury's eyebrow keeps twitching with agitation, whatever I am saying is annoying him. I guess patience is not one of his strong suits.

"And where would we find your parents and siblings?" Phil asks. For the first time since they got here I allowed myself to laugh, " _Find_ members of the Armina/Armando family?! Sniffing one of us out when we don't want to be found- That's impossible!" "Then how did we find you?" Fury growls. Oh, he isn't even a tad bit intimidating compared to the monsters I've stared down before.

"I wasn't hiding from _you_." I sneer. Fury finally snaps, "Then who are you hiding from?!" He takes a couple seconds to calm down before continuing, "You're not telling us everything- Keeping important secrets...What are they?"

So he's able to tell I'm manipulating my words to keep away from a certain topic? He just can't figure out what topic I am avoiding. I narrow my eyes at him slightly, can I trust these people? Individually, yes. They are good men. Their organization however…

I cross my arms, "I don't trust SHIELD, so I'm keeping the important details to myself." I answer bitterly. Phil looks confused, but Barton has a slight look of understanding on his face.

 _What do I do? How did they even find out it was me?_ _ **I think you forgot to take out the security cameras on the roof…**_ _Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. Why didn't I think of those?_ _ **I dunno what to tell you. Maybe you were too focused on torching your first major villain?**_ _Can you actually be helpful for once?_ _ **You can trust these men but not their organization, So only tell them.**_ _Could you be any more cryptic?_ _ **...Styx.**_ _Why are you swearing in Gre- oh!_

"If you want answers it has to be _you_ getting the answers… Not SHIELD." I tell them, a look of confusion crosses over their faces. "I will tell you every little detail about my powers, how I got them and most of my past… If you turn off that little recording device and promise not to tell another soul unless I give the go-ahead."

"If you're okay with me knowing, the Director, why are you against the company knowing?" Fury asks. "You aren't always going to be Director are you? And there are such things as hackers." I answer sassily. _**I thought I was the sassy one! You're the sarcastic one!**_

Fury thinks on it for a moment, if it took him any longer I would have assumed him paralyzed. _**Or an idiot!**_ _Or an idiot._ "Doable." He says, turning off his little recording device. "We won't say a word." "Umm… I'm a very superstitious person… could you perhaps promise properly? By the Styx?"

The three of them look a bit confused for a moment before shrugging it off, rolling their eyes and swearing properly. "~I, Nick Fury/Phil Coulson/Clint Barton, swear by the Styx to not tell another soul about anything discussed today unless given the okay by Candace Armina.~" They all say in unison. _**Well, they each spoke their own version a bit but I'm sure the readers get the gist.**_ _I'm not even going to try to understand what goes on in that head of yours._ _ **Good call.**_

This is when Tony decides to make his appearance from downstairs. "Hey sorry! I got completely lost in my work! What's going on?" He asks, taking a seat beside me. I scootch slightly to let him sit beside me. "I was about to tell Agent Coulson, Agent Barton and Director Fury the truth." I tell him.

Tony puts down the bottle of scotch he was about to pour himself a glass of and turns to me looking quite seriously, "Like, The Truth, the truth? The 'don't tell anyone or you could get killed' Truth?" I nod once, "Yeah, okay." He says before pouring himself a glass, almost filled up to the brim. "I'm going to need a lot more than this…" He mutters to himself.

I pat him on his shoulder, "Don't worry… They promised not to tell anyone." I say with a smile. I then turn to the three SHIELD Agents on the other sofa. "So, where to start…" I say to myself. "How about the beginning?" Barton suggest. _**He is sooo going to regret that.**_ A smirk grows across my face, "Well, a long long time ago, there was nothing. Then this one guy started creating things, like light, angels and humans...It wasn't long before one angel rebelled and war broke out in heaven." I start. _**He did ask for the beginning...**_

"The beginning of _your_ story please." Fury corrects. "Just shut up and listen… It will all make sense when I am done. This rebelling angel, Lucifer, started to lose the war, So he created more soldiers, Demons, and attack dogs, Hellhounds. The first Hellhounds names were Cerberus, Gwyllgi Armina and Grendel Armando. My Uncle, Mom and Dad." I finish.

A look of disbelief crosses over their faces simultaneously. "You don't believe me? Well, let me explain even more, then… We were created out of the fires of hell. So, we can control it. Demons want to control this power and for many years succeeded. A couple months ago I ran from Hell, away from the demons-in-charge. They, with my half-breed nieces and nephews have orders to kill me, and send me back into their grasp."

I watch as the pieces start falling into place in their head, my cryptic answers, here and at the press conference. After they understand and start to accept this as the truth another emotion comes to play on their faces. Well, Phil and Clint's faces- Fury isn't letting me see a thing. They are having the 'everything I was ever afraid of is real' revelation.

"If demons and angels are real...What else is real?" Clint asks slowly. I shrug my shoulders, "If you've heard of it, it's probably real." I answer. There are very few things that are actually just myth. "Ghosts?" "Real."

"Witches?"

"Yup."

"Werewolves?"

"Yes, and if you ever compare me to one I will burn you alive."

"Vampires?"

"Garlic and stakes do nothing, nor do they glitter. Beheading is the best way to go."

"Dragons?"

"They haven't come out to play for awhile but, Yeah."

"Phoenix?"

"That's even harder to come by, but there are still a couple here and there."

"Genie?"

"They are called Djinn."

"Nessie?"

"...Now that one is completely made up, Along with Bigfoot. There is such thing as a Kraken and Sirens." I reply. They are taking this pretty well… Better than I expected them to. I guess with having a job that involves finding people with powers, this isn't much of a stretch.

Fury, being obviously the smart one out of this trio, figures out how I manipulated them earlier, "When we swore on the Styx…" "You were actually swearing on the Greek river of pain and suffering. I wouldn't recommend breaking that oath." I warn. All color seems to drain from Clint's face, he was probably planning on telling his girlfriend or something.

After about an hour of answering any questions they have, Tony gets bored. I'm surprised he lasted this long. "So why did you want to talk to me in the first place?" He asks. Over the hour, his arm found its way around my shoulders, I really should shake him off so that he knows he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. (I actually brought a snowball into hell one year, out of boredom. It melted instantly.)

"Right, Miss Armina, Mr. Stark. We're here to talk to you about the Avenger's in-" Fury's obviously rehearsed line is cut off by the sound of my phone going off. 'Carry on My Wayward Son' fills the room. I didn't set that ringtone for anyone… _**It's funny!**_ _I don't see how._ _ **It doesn't matter if you don't get the reference! It just matters that the readers do!**_

"Sorry," I say before answering the phone and quickly leaving the room, "Hello." "It's Dean…" A very worried voice sounds through the phone. "You only left here nine hours ago... What's going on? You guys ok?" I ask, suddenly worried. _**You're quite concerned about someone who would kill you in a heartbeat.**_ _I'm trying to be a nice person, so what?_

"Yeah, we're fi-" "Dean…" I growl, making it clear I'm not really in the mood for this game. "It's Sam… He's hyped up on demon blood, we locked him in a panic room to try and get him to detox, I was just wondering… As much as I hate to ask… Does Gabe know anything about making the Detox easier?" Dean asks.

"YOU IDIOT!" I shout so loudly I'm pretty sure that those in the other room could hear me. "Demon blood is basically the worst drug in the world. Cold turkey, like you are trying to make him go- it's only going to get him killed! You have to wean him off… Slowly!" I take a deep breath.

"I don't have time to wean him off slowly! The final seals are breaking and I need my partner to help me stop it!" Dean yells back. "So what do you want me to do? I told you, I can't be on the front lines." I respond a lot calmer, trying to understand his side of this.

"I'm asking you to try and find a way to make his detox faster, or not kill him." Dean responds also calming down. I think about it for a minute, _**You could always-**_ _Don't even say it!_ _ **It would work.**_ _Yes, but so would another method._ _ **Another method isn't going to be as effective.**_

I let out a sigh of dismay, "Dean, I have an idea…" "Great!" "You might not like it…" "Anything is better than Demon blood." Dean pushes. "What was the name of the demon he was feeding off of?" I ask. "Ruby. Why is that important?"

Ruby? This should work splendidly. She is a low ranking demon, most demons in Hell wouldn't even notice her existence. "There is a way to end the addiction right now…" "What? Stop beating around the bush and tell me already!" "But, the way to do that would be to overpower it with another addiction. With stronger blood."

"Where are we going to find blood stronger than demon blood?" Dean asks. I think I can hear the pacing back and forth. "There is one more small catch…" "Of course there is…"

"The reason Demon's blood is so addicting is because it is from Hell, a place full of sin. The blood we need to get him on also needs to be from Hell..." I explain. "How is this better?! You're just getting him addicted to stronger demon blood!" Dean exclaims.

"No, I'm not. Ruby is a relatively low level demon...She can easily be trumped by a high level hellhound's blood… And I happen to have a supply." I answer. Dean goes silent for a moment. "I don't like this…" "It's better than Demon's blood." I push.

"It's better than Demon's blood."


	13. Chapter 12

I quickly rush past the Agents, the Director, and Tony, starting down the stairs to the garage. "They need my help! I'm taking a car!" I shout behind me, I grab a random key ring from Tony's pile and click the unlock button. A Mercedes beeps in response. At least it's relatively cheap.

I hop into the driver's side, immediately taking off. "JARVIS? You in the cars too?" I ask, "Of course, Miss. What can I do for you?" The AI responds, I really should have figured that. "Get me directions to Singer Auto Self Service Salvage Yard, Sioux Falls, South Dakota." I order.

"With my short cuts it will take 20 hours to arrive…" The AI says, that isn't nearly fast enough. "And if I never let the speedometer go under 90?" "14 hours, Miss. But I must advise against this unsafe method of ensuring you get there as fast as possible. I also must advise against this road seeing as it has a lot of cliffs and drops offs, even though it would cut the time by another hour and a half." I love this AI. "Oh, and don't let Tony follow me!" "He is highly intoxicated, so I wouldn't allow that regardless." Yup, love this AI.

 _Gabe, are you still hanging out in my head?_ _ **Never left.**_ _I need a favor._ _ **Figured.**_ _Can you appear in the Passenger seat with about half a dozen empty IV bags._ "Of course I can." A voice says from beside me. "Good," I hold my right arm out to him, keeping one hand on the wheel and my eyes on the road. "I need you to fill each and everyone of those up with my blood."

Gabriel just shakes his head and gets to work. He ties that annoying band around my arm and sticks the inside of my elbow with the needle. The first bag is filled up within a couple minutes and Gabe places it into a cooler he snapped up. He starts filling the next one, "How many of these are we filling up?" All of them.

Gabe stops moving for a second, I just focus on staying in the yellow lines on the road. "You _can_ die from blood loss you realize?" I nod my head, "But I also regenerate blood faster than humans, I'll be fine…" I'm telling this more to myself than I am to him. The body has about six quarts of blood in it, that's about 12 pints… I'm giving away six pints. I hope my Hound healing can keep up.

I felt no different after the first bag of blood, after the second I started to get slightly light headed. The third my breathing became labored, fourth I could barely see the road. After the fifth bag is when Gabriel stopped taking blood, "I'm not doing this anymore…" He announces, snapping away the remaining empty bags. "What are you doing?!" I ask, straining to both stay awake and keep the car from swerving off of these cliffs.

"I'm not going to help you kill yourself!" Gabriel exclaims, slightly annoyed. "I have to have a decent supply for Sam." I argue, my eyelids starting to droop. "I'm not killing my best friend for the sake of a Winchester!" Gabe shouts. I am shocked into silence, both because this is the first time I've ever heard him yell, and he called me his best friend.

I duck down slightly. "I have to save Sam… I have to! Because maybe, saving Dean's brother will be a step towards making up for putting him through Hell." Gabriel slowly, puts a hand on my shoulder, "Killing yourself… Giving yourself back to Lilith, isn't the way to make up for it." "You're right…" I agree, "Nothing will make up for it… but I have to try."

I risk a glance at Gabriel, "One more… One more bag should be enough to give Sam a decent store to last for awhile… I'll be fine." He doesn't believe me, that much is obvious… But he goes on anyway. He fills up the last bag, that one pint made a huge difference and I could immediately tell what it is… I'm cold.

At first I didn't even know what is was I'm feeling- I can't get cold, my fire always keeps me at the right temperature. But the blood loss is making me too weak to keep myself warm. Gabe doesn't leave like I expected him to, he stays and tries to shove Protein bars and orange juice down my throat. Succeeds for the most part. We mostly just sit in silence, until around the fourth time I nearly fall asleep.

"You know what? I'm done! I'm done waiting for you to take care of yourself on your own!" Gabe says before snapping his fingers. Is he leaving? I then notice the car is parked in a little junk yard, Singer Auto Service Salvage Yard. Oh, so he brought us all the way here? "So, I'm just going to have to do it for you! I've tried the subtle hints here and there, the burgers everywhere to tell you that you don't eat enough. Advice to keep you alive, but then you go and nearly kill yourself! So, you know what?! The job of taking care of yourself is being lifted off of your shoulders. I'm going to make sure that it happens now!"

Gabriel gets out of the car, cooler of Blood in hand, and walks over to my side of the car. He gently opens the door which I have taken to leaning against. Gabe somehow pulls me up single handedly and drapes me over his shoulder. I try to take a step towards the house that is literally falling apart but almost immediately head towards the ground. If it wasn't for Gabe holding me up I would have hit the ground.

He shakes his head and snaps his fingers, making us appear inside the living room of Bobby's place. Before Gabe even acknowledges the two surprised Hunters in the room, he lays me down on the couch. He turns to Dean, looking absolutely livid. "There's the Blood." He growls, nearly shoving the cooler at Dean. Dean's face, honestly, looks confused. "What the hell?"

"Candace nearly killed herself trying to get this to you. I doubt anything else short of my convincing could stop her… I nearly couldn't." Gabe whispers that last part… So quiet that if I wasn't a hound I wouldn't have heard. I try to sit up but Gabe immediately pushes me back down onto the sofa. "You, Missy, are going to rest… Before you get another brilliant idea that almost gets you killed."

Dean goes down stairs, most likely to give the blood to Sam, then comes back a couple minutes latter. "How did she nearly kill herself by driving?" Dean asks, skeptically. "That's not what almost killed her. That blood- what, six freakin' pints? Out of 12. She's almost passing out from blood loss." Bobby's face gets this totally shocked expression. "That's her blood?" "Yep. I'm not sure how else she planned to get it here, she was driving on the most dangerous road she possibly could have chosen, at the craziest speeds possible. I-" "You are telling me that the high-ranking hellhound blood she promised us was her own?"

"Yes. It's my blood. I'm a hellhound." I say in despair, fully expecting this to be my last second on earth before I'm sent right back to _Her_ … It was a nice vacation, but I guess reality has to catch up with you at some point. I roll over on the couch, allowing my face to be covered by the pillows. I don't want to watch them kill me, then the nightmares will have new faces to play with.

"Why are you helping us, girl?" Bobby asks, slightly softer than I expected, but still with an underlying, 'I'm going to kill you in a second'. "That's a long story, and I don't think I'm going to live long enough to tell it." I respond, lifting my head slightly to look him in the eyes, a shiver runs up my spine, the lack of blood still leaving me dizzy, light headed and cold.

"Well, judging from the fact half of the blood that is supposed to be in your system is downstairs being consumed by my brother, I don't think you're going anywhere… We got time for a story." Dean says with a half smile. I nod slightly, "Gabe, can you help me sit up?" The Archangel sighs at my refusal to rest and helps me sit up.

"When Lucifer created the first hounds out of the fires of Hell he created my parents and Uncle Cerberus… My parents had one litter, consisting of several legends I'm sure you've heard about. Lupa, Geri and Freki, my brother Luca and me. Then they died during the first war against heaven. Because my parents were born of the fires of Hell they technically are the flames, so they can control them as well…" I say, creating a small flame in my hand. It looks tiny, I'm just not strong enough to make it bigger.

 _ **You're weak enough as it is!**_ I roll my eyes and put out the flames, "During the war against heaven, Demons and Hounds worked together. Partners, that's definitely changed over the years. Demons were created _by_ the flames, not _of_ the flames like my family. What creates can also destroy, The flames that we control… can burn demons. At first the partnership continued just fine… Demons respected Hounds for their abilities, Hounds would use the Demon contracts for a meal. Everything was good. Then my siblings started to bond with ordinary wolves, with the occasional werewolf, and the children could no longer wield the flame…"

"...Luca and I are the only living hounds to still possess the power over fire… To be able to kill a demon. So, _she_ came after us. I am strong but not nearly strong enough to keep _her_ at bay. She is the only Demon that I cannot kill. Alastair and Azazel are possible, would just take some time and effort. Luca was able to get away from her, I was not… She wanted the most powerful living Hound, Me, to be at the beck and call of the most powerful demon, Her… I refused…"

Normally I would have enjoyed the look of shock across their faces, but right now, I am reliving terrible memories and freezing. Gabriel snaps me up the fluffiest, softest, warmest blanket in the universe and I continue picking through my past.

"...Before she found me I was happy! Living with my brother, visiting my two-minute-older siblings every once and awhile. We would hunt ordinary things like deer as a family. For a time we just wished we were ordinary hunting dogs… I refused to work for _her_ and kill people, drag them into Hell… She wasn't happy about that, You got Alistair, Correct? She… is a million times worse. It was a decade with her, then a decade in purgatory, a decade with her, decade in Tartarus, a decade with her, a decade in Niflheim. Then it starts all over again…"

I don't look at their faces, I don't have to. I know they show pity, that isn't what I want. "...At the end of every decade she would ask, 'Do you want to work for me? Or go another decade?' I don't know how long it was… Time moves differently down there… But eventually I said Yes. For so many years… So many souls, there are very few times that I refused to drag someone down… Each time, the consequence was Hell…"

"...I hated dragging people into the pit, hated watching people throw their lives away for stupid reasons… Money, Power, Love, this one guy asked for a couple more inches below the belt. The last soul I delivered to Hell, he sacrificed himself for his brother… When one touches a soul a small connection is formed, what it does depends on the person, to me it mostly works like a GPS, but something about him, made me want to try again… Try to run away from her one last time…"

A look of realization starts to cross over Dean's face, and I can barely look at him. I feel like the weight of worlds is on my chest- because of him. "...I left him there, in Hell, gave him a message, 'Don't say yes to Alistair, I will send help' or something like that, and I ran to the surface. I did try to send help, prayed to every single Angel I could think of, surprised they didn't all smite me right then and there. From then on I've been on the run from my hometown known as Hell, away from the Demons-In-Charge that want me dead. If I die, I'll just go back to Purgatory, Tartarus or Niflheim and she will pull me out… Starting the vicious cycle all over again…"

I finish the little recap of my life and turn to Bobby, "You asked me why I'm helping you? Because I want to redeem myself for all of pain she made me cause… try to reverse all of the suffering." I then turn to look straight at Dean, looking at him for the first time since this conversation started, "You got dragged down by me to save your brother… My going back to save your brother only seems fitting… I wasn't lying, my blood will drive out the demon's, so you can use me until you can properly wean Sam off, then kill me, what-" Before I can finish the sentence, Gabriel slaps me on the back of the head.

"I told you! Getting yourself killed isn't going to make anything right!" "I fucking deserve it, Gabriel. I don't even care." I shoot back. "I deserve anything she does to me, because I caused so much pain. I won't work for her again. I don't want to go back to the hells. I want to cease to exist- stop the pain. I want to try to make up for anything I did. Even if it's impossible." I feel like crying, even though if I do, I'll probably never stop. This is the first time I've ever told the whole story. I don't want to have to do it again.

"Hey, don't cry. I've had lows like this too. Looking back now, if I had taken my own life, I would have missed the best parts. I would have missed seeing my brother again. I would have missed seeing my dad again, after a long separation. I would have never ended up meeting you, or Tony Stark. There's enough life to live. We all can help you." Dean speaks up.

They aren't going to kill me? Why? "Why aren't you killing the monster that dragged you into Hell?" _**Like I would let them!**_ Gabe has taken to sitting beside me, helping me sit up straight, in all honesty I'm just leaning against his shoulder trying to stay upright. "Yeah, well… Not much point if Lilith is just going to bring you right back." Bobby explains. "Besides, Sammy needs you." Dean adds. "...Thank you." I whisper, curling up inside this blanket. My heart is beating so fast, I'm scared, but these people have promised to keep me safe.

"How's Samsquatch doing?" Gabe asks. "He's downstairs… See for yourself." Dean says, gesturing behind him. I move to stand up, "Oh! No, No, No! You can barely stay awake at the moment! You're going to rest! Check on Samoose later!" Gabriel says, trying to get me back onto the couch. I roll my eyes, "Relax, I just want to make sure I'm actually helping him...I'll come back up and rest in a minute."

I start heading down the stairs, following Dean, A grumbling Archangel behind me. "You really are incapable of taking care of yourself." He mutters, grumpily. I notice the bunker immediately, "Iron doors lined with salt?" I say in appreciation. I love the look on their face as I easily step into the demon trap painted by the door. I run my fingers over the door, ignoring the burning of my fingers. "I'm impressed…" Gabe yanks me back from the doors, "And I'm tired of your self-destructive tendencies."

Dean opens the door for me, there Sam is sitting on a bed, looking quite relaxed. "I see it worked… Demon blood can't touch him, Although weaning him off of this is going to be Hell." I comment. Sam looks up confused, "What did I just drink?!" Dean smirks, "A pint of Hellhound blood." He answers easily.

Sam looks down confused, "...It was so much stronger… How can a demonic mutt's blood be stronger than a demon's?" He asks. I have to hold back a growl, my eyes definitely flared. "Ruby is a low life amongst demons, That Hound's blood was taken from a high ranking Hound. The Daughter of the Alpha. Purebred Hounds are stronger than most demons anyway. The only blood stronger than what you just consumed would be the Alpha's, or _Lilith's_." I explain, as simply as I can. I once again have to spit out the name, have trouble getting through all of the syllables.

I glance at Dean, "You mind filling him in on everything I told you?" "Sure, was going to anyway." I nod, then turn to Bobby, "Can I crash on your couch?" _**Finally!**_ "Sure, there are actually a couple of guest rooms upstairs." "Thanks." I head upstairs, barely making it to one of the guest rooms before I pass out. "This has been one crazy day…" I mutter, and then I'm out.


	14. Chapter 13

Gabriel's POV:

That idiot finally went to sleep. I used a twinge of my grace to make sure she would stay asleep for at least eight hours. It's like Candace is allergic to taking care of herself. I'm quite certain that if I didn't drop Bacon Cheeseburgers everywhere, she wouldn't eat at all. I sit somewhat patently on Bobby Singer's couch as Dean-o explains everything Candy said earlier to Sam-I-Am.

"Candace is a _good_ Hellhound?!" Sam asks skeptically. "I know it sounds a bit crazy…" I start, "But she did almost die for you, Even after you stepped aside to let Cassy kill her." An idiotic look of confusion crosses over their faces. "What do you mean?" I roll my eyes and just snap my fingers, unlocking their memories of the past day. I go ahead and give Bobby a basic understanding about what happened.

"What a crazy day she's had! Got killed by an Angel, spent a week in Tartarus, Spent a couple hours training to defend against Angels, gave 'the truth is out there' speech to a couple humans then nearly killed herself helping you idiots." I explain hiding my annoyance behind my usual smirk.

"I don't get it… you brought Cas to her house, and Cas went berserk and killed her?" Sam asks. "I wouldn't have let you guys near Candace if I thought she would hurt you. She was trying so hard to help you, then I had to bring my stupid brother into the mix. Castiel didn't even bother to realize it was the same Hound that alerted the angels Dean was in Hell. He just saw a Hell spawn right next to his boyfriend." Dean just stares at me for a moment. "We're not… together."

"Through all this storytelling, Candace dying… The only thing you pick up from that is that 'Cas and I aren't together', fuck. She has been sacrificing herself, almost since the beginning. And the only thing you've gathered from that is that you are in denial about your bisexuality… if my father can accept it, you can too." I put my head in my hands. "I'm so done. This is bullshit. If you don't appreciate her, I'll take her back to California. I'll take her back to someone who does."

Dean stands up quickly, "Don't! I need her help…" My eyes narrow and rage pools in, if it wasn't for the fact Candace nearly died to save them, again, I would have killed them right then and there. "You don't need _her_ …" I spit, my voice missing all of its usual playfulness, I allow all of my current rage to be heard in my voice, "You need her Blood. You need to keep draining her. You need to keep taking advantage of her desire to redeem herself! You're going to end up killing her! You're going to send her right back to Lilith! The one thing I've promised her since the beginning- not to send her back- you're gonna end up doing that. I don't want that for her." I growl.

"That's not what I meant-" Dean begins. I cut him off. "No, that's not what you meant. You never think before saying anything, you just say whatever half-assed thing pops up in your brain. So do say, What did you mean?"

"Yes, we need the blood, but I don't want to kill her." Dean tries to appease, "That's right. You don't _want_ to kill her, but you surely won't care if you do! As long as it saves your precious little brother you would do anything! I know it might be difficult for your stupid hunter brain to comprehend that someone like her would actually choose to help someone like your brother. But it's happened- it's actually happened. You can brandish those iron stakes around all you want, drain her of her blood, you won't change it."

I don't even bother waiting for his reaction, I snap myself into the room Candace chose to sleep in. The girl isn't even completely on the bed. Look's like she passed out before she could fully get on. I easily lift her up and place her under the covers. For a few moments she was sleeping peacefully, but her silence quickly turned into whimpers as the usual nightmares start to haunt her sleep.

I think that is why she doesn't sleep as much as she should… Scared of the nightmares. Like I have every night, I gently use my grace to chase off the nightmare, throwing her into a peaceful, dreamless sleep. We have promised each other many things, Not to lie, to keep each other's secrets and a couple others… But the one thing I will never do, is willingly let something hurt her or send her back. I failed when I brought Castiel, I'm not going to fail again…

[Page Break]

Candace's POV:

I wake up slowly, having to push the grogginess away. The light shines through the window, burning my eyes slightly. It takes me a minute to remember I'm at Bobby Singer's. I roll out of bed and head downstairs, waiting for me in the kitchen is Dean, Sam, Bobby and Gabe all eating plates of bacon, eggs, pancakes and sausage.

I sit down happily at the table, grabbing myself a plate. "Morning, boys!" I say, grabbing two pancakes, a small serving of scrambled eggs, three slices of bacon and two sausage links. I glance around the table… There isn't any strawberry syrup… Regular isn't bad, I'm just craving Strawberry. I hear a snap and my pancakes become drowned in it.

"Gabe… I wanted some Strawberry syrup, Not a Strawberry ocean." I say dryly, taking a bite of my pancakes. Gabe just smirks, "You didn't specify!" He sings. Sometimes I don't know if I like having Gabe around or if I hate it. "You know you love me!"

The boys just ignore the odd one-sided conversation. "So, Candace, how are you feeling?" Sam asks, trying very hard to be casual. "You mean? Other than the bruises and cuts everywhere, the light-headedness, dizziness, blurry vision and overall feeling like crap?" I ask sassily. "Yeah." Sam says awkwardly.

"I thought so. I feel… Cold. Freezing actually." I answer, taking a bite of my syrup covered sausage link. "You control fire! Can you even get cold?" Dean asks. "No." "That's… Concerning!" I nod, then turn to Sam. "How do you feel, since we're asking."

"Uhh… Good, actually. Stronger than ever…" Sam answers. I nod, that is to be expected, "Why was Ruby giving you blood anyway?" I ask, continuing to eat. Nothing really grosses me out much anymore. "She said she was trying to train me, get me strong enough to kill Lilith. I was close on the Demon Blood, but now… I don't even think it would be a challenge!" Sam declares.

"I don't think that's wise. There's only one seal left to break, what if it's Lilith?" Gabe says. "I might just be paranoid here, but I don't think you should go and try to kill Lilith." "Now that's just crazy! Why would killing Lilith be a bad thing?!" Dean asks. "Besides, all of the other seals have been killing dozens of orphans, possessing people and raising powerful warlocks and witches from the dead...Why would the final seal be just one demon?" Sam points out.

They all turn to me, "Hey! Don't look at me! She never told me anything! It was all do this and do that. I never got a why!" I defend. "The only thing I know about it is that she and Azazel have been working on raising Lucifer for decades… And where the door is…" I add the last part as an afterthought.

"You know where the door to Lucifer's cage is?!" I nod my head, "If I had to guess that is where she is going to be waiting as well. There is only one seal left, she would be waiting at the door to greet her father the moment he is released…" I theorize.

"Great, where is it? Sam and I will go and gank the bitch." Deans announces. "No. You aren't going anywhere. Not without me." I object. "You are fucking kidding me, right? You just lost half your blood, you aren't going anywhere." Gabe yells. "If she's gonna die, I want to be there for it." "You're not strong enough to face Lilith right now!" "But I am strong enough to fight off the demon guards she is bound to have around her… I'm tired of running from her." I argue. Gabe was about to argue something else when my phone going off cuts him off. The sound of 'I am Iron Man' plays through the dining room. "What is it with people and changing my ringtones?" I ask mostly to myself, before placing the phone on speaker.

"Where are you? Is everything okay? Are you okay? Are the Winchesters okay?" Comes the frantic voice of Tony Stark. "I'm in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, your car is fine, I'm ok, the Winchesters are ok. Calm down." I answer rolling my eyes.

"Why do you sound out of breath and weak? Are you sure you're okay?" Tony asks, sounding even more worried. "For Fuck's sake, I am perfectly fine. Please, calm down. The boys needed help on a hunt. It took a little bit out of me." I answer. "You got hurt? On a monster hunt? That should be impossible, where is your exact location, I'm coming to get you!" Tony announces.

"Tony, you aren't listening to me! I'm fine! I'll be home in a couple of days once we finish this last hunt, okay?" I tell him. "Fine… You have three days to get home before I come and get you myself!" "Yeah, okay." I say before hanging up and returning to my stack of pancakes that never seem to run cold.

"You're a fantastic liar." Sam comments, also returning to his food, which have gone cold. "I wasn't lying. We just did finish a hunt to collect Hound's blood and we are about to start another on going after _her_. I didn't lie at all." I respond. "Besides, I doubt Tony'd last five minutes trying to find me, especially if I don't want to be found."

"Well, if you say you want to go with us to take down Lilith, we should probably get going. Where is the door to the cage?" Sam asks. "St. Mary's convent, Ilchester, Maryland. It's quite a ways." I respond. "Let's go."

{page break}

"I don't like this! You should be resting, not going out to fight against Lilith!" Gabriel complains from beside me. Somehow, Sam and Dean were able to get both Gabriel and me into the back of the Impala. They didn't want to risk a scratch on Tony's mercedes. Bobby stay back to do some more research.

I place my phone on the dashboard of the Impala. "JARVIS? You up?" I ask, I wonder if people think I am crazy everytime I talk to J. "As always. What can I do for you, miss?" The AI asks. "That is incredibly cool…" Dean mutters. "Find the fastest path to St. Mary's convent, Ilchester, Maryland." I order.

"If one takes the safest path and obeys all traffic laws it will take you twenty hours… Taking one of my shortcuts, 18…" JARVIS, says slowly, obviously remembering what happened the last time he gave me short cuts. "And if we throw all caution to the wind?" I push, "15, miss…"

"You heard him, Which path are we choosing?" I ask Dean who is in the driver's seat. Sam gives me a look like I am a crazy person, "How reckless were you on the way to Bobby's?" He asks, shocked. "JARVIS?" "Your average speed was 95 miles an hour, you almost drove off a cliff five times and you forgot your seatbelt." The AI answers.

I forgot my seat belt? Really? "Not to mention the entire time you were having me collect blood from your arm!" Gabe grumbles, but the boys still catch it. Sam blinks a couple times… "Do I thank you for doing everything you could to help me? Or yell at you for being reckless?"

"How about you thank me by not giving me some speech?" I ask, leaning back into the seat. "How about you actually take care of yourself for once and get some rest?" Gabriel proposes. "I just slept for a good eight hours! I'm good." I say, crossing my arms. "Well, you can use this car ride to get even more sleep!" Gabe points out. I was about to open my mouth to argue but Gabe snaps his fingers, my vision goes dark and I am off to dreamland.

Sam's POV:

I watch as Candace collapses, her head landing in Gabriel's lap and him softly brushing her dark brunette-almost black- hair out of her face. "Did you just force her to fall asleep?" Dean asks, glancing momentarily up at the rearview mirror. "She needs rest…" Gabriel mutters.

"Aww! Sammy, would you look at that! An Archangel/Trickster in love with a Hellhound!" Dean mocks. "Shut up. I'm warning you right now." Gabe growls. "Dean, stop." "Buzzkill… If he is allowed to make false accusations about Cas and me, I'm allowed to make real ones about him." Gabriel brings out a bag of gummy bears and starts eating them, slowly.

"One problem there Dean-o, I'm making the true ones and you're the one that's wrong." Gabe says, popping more gummy bears into his mouth. "Aww! Look, Sammy! It's an Archangel in denial!" Dean continues to mock. "Dean, I know for a fact that my brother Castiel is in love with you. Why else do you think he volunteered to pull you out of hell?"

"I like to think it's because of my perky nipples." Dean sasses. I nearly choke- really, dude? Really? Gabe just shrugs, "Who knows? Maybe that's part of Castiel's reasoning." How are they talking about this so openly? "Yeah, well. It still doesn't change the fact that you are in denial." Dean comments.

Gabriel clenches his fist, glaring at the back of Dean's head. "I'm not in denial." He growls through his clenched teeth. "Really? Cause it looks to me like you are in love, just can't see it." Dean you are going to get yourself killed by an Archangel. Again. "Fine, you want me to say it? I care for Candace. I really do. But she doesn't love me- romantically. She loves someone else."

"Dude, You're an Archangel who has saved her probably more times than she can count. Who is she choosing over you?" I ask, before Dean can make another stupid comment… Not that mine was much better. "They aren't officially in a relationship, but they are living together. It's Tony."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that… Why aren't they dating?" Dean speaks up. "There is no such thing as dating to Hounds… It's for life or not at all. She doesn't think Tony has the faithfulness or commitment…" "...But she still has a crush on him." I finish. "Correct." He sighs.

Dean breaks the depressing atmosphere by bursting out laughing. "What the Hell's so funny?" Gabe growls, checking to make sure Candace didn't wake up. "Nothing! Nothing! I was just imagining what your kids would look like! Little winged Skeleton dogs… Or would it be an Angel with wolf features? It's kinda cute, actually."

I can't tell if Gabe's face is showing Horror, or curiosity. Probably both. "Would they be able to create fire or smite people? What about snapping up random foods and creating alternate dimensions like you can?" Dean goes on.

Gabriel opens his mouth to retort but is promptly cut off by an absolutely pitiful whimper coming from the back seat. I look back to see Candace trying to curl up into a ball, shielding her arms with the rest of her. Gabriel bends down and brushes her hair with his fingers once more, "Shh… I'm not going to let you go back there… You're safe." He whispers.

Gabriel cares about her so much… Has protected her against everything he can, even her own self destructive tendencies and the nightmares. Then she develops a crush on a jerk who would be a poor match for her anyway. Do I feel sorry for Gabriel? Or for her?


	15. Chapter 14

Candace's POV:

I wake up to Gabriel shaking me, "Come on. We're here. Let's go kill us a demon." I push myself off of Gabe's lap- Not sure how I ended up there- and climb out of the car. I shake off the drowsiness. "Did I really sleep through a whole 18 hour car ride?" I ask them, realizing we are at the front of the Convent.

Sam and Dean give each other odd looks as Gabe happily announces, "Yup! You must have needed more rest." Huh, I do feel a lot better. I experimentally catch my hand on fire, I'm not at full strength, but I'm mostly healed. I look back at the Convent, and I smell about a dozen demons swarming the place. Lilith is in there as well.

" _She_ is definitely here, boys…" I comment, having to stop a shiver that wants to run up and down my spine. "...Along with another dozen demons. Ruby is here too." I sum up. "Great…" Dean mutters, grabbing a knife from the back of his car. Gabe twirls his silver blade in his fingers, "Nobody's going to mention the fact that the door to Luci's cage is a nun factory?" He exclaims.

Dean shrugs, "I just thought it's nun of our business." He says with a smirk. Hand, meet face. Sam lets out a groan, "That was truly awful, just don't make puns, okay? Ever." I wholeheartedly agree. "Dean, why must you _pun_ ish us?" Dean smirks while Sam looks at me in shock. "Not you too!" Sam holds his head in his hand. "Can we just go inside now?" He asks.

I shrug my shoulders and start to shift. Dean's face as I go from Human brunette to furred hellhound is hilarious. I breath a little bit of fire, "Let's go." Gabe, of course, can't let the joke drop. "This is going to be so much nun." "The joke's not _nun_ ny any more!" I shout. "But I've only just be _nun_!"

Dean shakes his head, "What have I started?" "World War Nun." "THAT IS ALMOST AS BAD AS LILITH!" Sam looks like he is going to lose his mind. "Can we stop before the Demons realize we are here?" He asks. I turn to him, "I'm sure they already know we are here… They are waiting for us to come to them."

Dean slams the trunk to the Impala shut, "Fantastic." I roll my eyes, walk straight up to the front door and barrel through, completely destroying the door. I barge through all of the halls, turning every single demon I find into ashes almost instantly. Gabe is able to keep up with me and slashes through any demons in his way as well.

I wonder what we look like? A Hellhound and An Archangel battling a small army of demons. What an odd pair we are. And yet, I doubt anyone's gonna yell at us. I don't know when, but at some point we turned this into a race to see who could kill the most demons. When the last demon is killed, by Gabriel, I shout out my number, "Six! Ha!" "Seven! Ha Ha!" What… It's because he got the stupid last one! "I will beat you next time!" I declare, and a smirk grows across his face, "We both know that's not going to happen, but it would be fun to see you try." He agrees. "And maybe next time there will be enough of them that it is a decent fight." I say, shifting human again and kicking the ashes of one of the demons.

"Ready to go face the rest of them?" Sam asks walking in with Dean right behind him. I give them a look, "That was all of them...The only ones left are Ruby and _her_ ." I point out. Dean blinks, "Where were you the past few years? Your help would have made our lives a million times easier…" "Oh, I dunno, working for the bitch we're about to torch?" "Right."

I walk with the guys down a very long hallway up to one door. "Her, Ruby and the door...It's all in there." I say, pointing at a set of wooden doors. "You know… If we happen to fail, which I really hope we don't, I guess I finally get to meet my grandfather." I point out. "That is the worst silver lining ever…" Sam mutters. I just shrug. "It's silver lining _nun_ theless." "Really? I thought we were done!" Sam groans. "It was just so obvious! Sorry."

Sam rolls his eyes and shoved open the door, immediately using his supercharged powers from my blood to give him a boost and fling _her_ across the room, trapping her against the altar. Ruby steps forward, "Wow! I guess you're stronger than I thought...You should need almost a Gallon of demon blood to keep her down like this…" She says in awe.

I don't even bother with the whole, 'hounds are stronger than demons' speech. I give her half a glance and snap my fingers, turning her into a pile of ash. Sure I didn't _need_ to snap my fingers, I just think it looks cool. Damn you Gabriel, I've been spending way too much time with you. _**No, you are just finally accepting I'm awesome!**_

 _She_ lets out a cold yet light hearted laugh, "Is that my Hound back there?" She asks in a voice that still sends chills up my spine. I'm stronger than this, Stronger than her, And if I'm not, I brought back up. _Please, don't let her get to me._ _ **Never.**_

I take a few steps forward, letting her see my new form, trying my best not to let her see the shaking of my limbs. "Oh! That's why I couldn't find you! You learned some new tricks! While I've enjoyed this little game of hide-and-go-seek, I really want to go back to our regular game of cat and mouse…" I almost forgot how annoyingly childish she likes to act. "Not going to happen." I growl, allowing my fangs and claws to elongate.

"It seems the mouse doesn't want to play anymore… Oh, well! I can always just get another one. What was the brother's name? Lu-Luce? No Lu-... Luca!" I laugh bitterly. "I haven't seen him since I began working under you. Good luck finding him." "Oh, but I have! He was smoked out of his hiding spot about a month ago! Hiding under a volcano or something. I have a couple demons keeping an eye on him, if you refuse I can always convince him to be my new pet."

She's threatening Luca… She's going to torture my brother, I feel my hands clench, turning back into paws, But that is the only part of me that transforms. "Shut up you whiney little brat!" I growl, knowing that my eyes have changed completely into the glowing red slits they should be.

"Do you remember the first few decades we were together? Oh, that was so much fun! I wonder if it will be just as much fun with Lu- Ahh!" She starts before I place my hand on her cheek, heating it up as hot as I can get it in my slightly weakened state. I can't kill her, but I can sure as Hell hurt her.

I pull my hand away and back up from her, admiring my work. "Did you just _brand_ me?!" She asks in shock. My paw print is bright red on her cheek. "Do you like it? I think it suits you." I mock in a voice mimicking hers. I barely glance at Sam as I say these next words, "Kill her."

I watch as Sam snuffs the light out of her and a sickening sense of satisfaction washes over me. I watch happily as she collapses onto the ground, her blood staining the marble floors. Instead of spreading into a shapeless blob, there's a pattern forming just under my feet. I back away as a spiral of her blood forms. "What's going on?" I ask worriedly.

"Shit! It's Lucifer's cage opening! Lilith _was_ the last seal!" Gabriel exclaims, trying to pull Sam and Dean towards the door. The spiral circle completes and a blinding light shoots out from the floor. It's neither dark nor light, but there is so much power! Similar to what comes off of Gabe- yet different. I feel drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. I don't even realize I started stepping forward, my feet entering the spiral.

"Candace what are you doing?! Come on!" Gabe yells from behind me, I turn back to see Sam and Dean missing, he must have flown them out. "Come here, get out of the circle." Gabe demands, holding one hand forward. Whatever trance the presence of Lucifer was putting me under breaks when I make eye contact with Gabriel.

I move to take a step out of the blood circle and away from my grandfather's presence. Before I can make that final step, the door to the cage opens completely and I start falling. Falling into this white black light. Am I falling _into_ the cage? That would suck. Although I wonder which is worse, tortured by her or an eternity of nothingness. Both sound horrible.

The fall seems endless, like the cage is really just an endless pit. After a few seconds the sensation of falling stops, like I am suddenly floating just without the whiplash. Then the sense of falling suddenly goes in reverse, Like I am being carried at ridiculously high speeds to the surface. And then I passed out.

{pagebreak}

 **Dean's POV:**

I sit on the back of the Impala, watching as Gabriel paces back and forth. "Where is she? Where could he have taken her? Why couldn't I grab her in time? She can't be dead, I would be able to sense that. She can't be in the cage because I would be able to tell that as well. Oh, shit, what do I tell Stark?" The Archangel starts to panic. He's fallen hard, hasn't he?

Sam grabs him by the shoulders to stop his annoying pacing, "Hey! Cut it out! Panicking isn't going to do anything! Stark is expecting her back in two days, so just find her before that. Now if you tell us what happened… We can help." Gabriel takes a few deep breaths.

"Candace has been taken somewhere by Lucifer. He hasn't killed her yet and he locked me out of my Telepathic link with her…" Gabriel say, starting to pace again. "What is he doing to her? If he is torturing her… Candace can't handle going through another Lilith."

I'm not very good at judging situations, but I would seem it's time to change the subject, if only for a second. "Speaking of Lilith, Why did Candace brand her?" I ask out of pure curiosity. "You choose now of all times to satisfy your curiosity?! Well, If it is so important, only a Hellhound or an Angel is capable of branding a soul and there are two different reasons. Lilith was marked out of hatred, if a human was marked it would prevent them from going to Heaven and they would become incapable of becoming a demon." Gabe explains briefly.

So they would just be stuck on the rack forever? That sounds horrible. I very hesitantly reach over to my shoulder and pull up my sleeve, revealing the handprint Cas left. "And this?" I ask hesitantly. Something about Gabriel's face tells me that if it were any other situation he would be bursting out laughing.

"The other reason a brand would be left is if the Hound or Angel wanted to 'claim' the soul. Castiel basically called dibs." Gabe answers bluntly. Oh come on. "You weren't lying when you said Cas was in love with me…" I say. "If this were under any other circumstance, I would say, 'I told you so.' But Candace is missing, and I can't track her, so I'm panicking, and I'm gonna hold off on the 'I told you so'." The Trickster replies. I can hear the undertones of frustration, fear- anger, even. "I haven't seen my brother since Michael cast him down. As excited as I am that there's a possibility I could see him, possibly reconcile, I'm terrified what he could do to Candace."

"I don't think he'll hurt her. Candace is, what, technically his granddaughter? I think the familial bond will prevent anything really bad from happening to her." Sam starts logically. "She can't take any more torture- seeing Lilith was terrifying to her. She asked me- more like begged me- not to let Lilith get to her. I barely succeeded on that count. I can't defend her from my brother. I should have fucking known!" Gabriel is filled with agitation.

"Man, if you calm down, maybe we can find her." I say. I know it's probably futile. Lucifer breaking free is one of the signs of the Apocalypse. The least I can do is try to help her- she saved my brother.

{page break}

 **Candace's POV**

I wake up on a chair that's rather comfortable. There's a man standing on the other side of the room- he's got the energy signature of an archangel, but there's an undertone of darkness? Who is he? I remember falling down- into the cage?- then I felt like I was falling up. Someone saved me from the nothingness of the cage… Was it him?

"You've awoken. Hope you feel okay. The landing was a bit rough. Sorry about that…" he begins. Something about him is familiar. I can't place him, though. "I- feel like I know you, have we met?" I ask, somewhat hesitantly. He turns around, I see his face for the first time. There's all these blisters on his face and chest, arms, hands. Almost like the vessel wasn't strong enough to contain the power. "We haven't met in person. I'm Lucifer." Oh. Of course. He's family.

"When did you get out of the cage?" I'm genuinely confused. "Same time you nearly fell in. I would have let you fall, but I realised you're Gwyllgi's kid. We're family. I'm not gonna let my granddaughter spend eternity in the same hell I was in for millennia. I don't think anyone deserves that." Lucifer tells me. I think he cares for me? It seems odd. "I guess we're both the creme-de-la-creme of the worst. Mum and Dad are dead, Three of my siblings have aligned themselves with the Pagans. Luca and I are all that's left of the first two generations. The rest of the hounds are half-bloods."

I get up from the chair, to which I was fortunately not restrained. "If you hadn't caught me, I'd be stuck in that Godforsaken cage. So… Thank you." I stand next to my grandfather. "You're welcome." The response is short, yet I feel the bit of pride. He probably hasn't been thanked in forever. "I don't have very long before my friends will be looking for me. I promised three days before I returned home, and I spent 20 hours driving to Maryland from South Dakota. I was hoping I could get home before they all freak out." "I think it's a bit late for that. Gabriel's already started panicking- I cut off your mental link. I wanted to spend time with you, and it's hard to do that with him interfering." Lucifer smirks. "Where are we, anyway?" I ask. "Apparently, we are in Los Angeles, California, United States of America."

This guy has obvious signs that he is a sociopath. He didn't have regard for authority- that's obvious because of the war in heaven. Poor relationships, with all of his siblings and his father. Arrogance- thought he was better than God. Very cynical. Deceitful- the word "Sata'an" in Hebrew is literally translated into 'deceiver'. Uses charm and persuasion to get what he wants- convinced a third of the angels to fight on his side, then once he fell, turned them into demons. Has a blurred line between right and wrong- felt like he was standing up for the right side when he rebelled. Hostile- I remember my mum telling stories about how he'd lash out among his highers-in-command, like Lilith and Moloch and Azazel.

I'm not sure why he'd save me, aside from my firebending and branding abilities. We might be family, but this guy scares me. I'm almost as terrified of him as I was with Lilith. "You won't hurt me like _she_ did... will you?" I ask, tentatively. "Of course not. I created your species- I'm not like my father, I won't torture my own creations." I can't tell if he's lying, but there's a pretty good chance. I'd say he's worse than her. He has enough power to kill me, hurt me, hurt those I love. "She terrified me. When she first tried to get me on a leash, she'd try to convince me for a decade- I'd refuse, she'd send me to purgatory, or Niflheim, or Tartarus. It was a vicious cycle. I don't want it to be repeated with you…" _Nice going, telling him your worst fear._ _Shut up, self. You're not helping._ "I'm honestly terrified of you, too."

"Don't be. I won't hurt you." His tone of voice is silky, as though he's practiced this. "How do I know I can trust you? Familial bonds aren't enough… Swear on the Styx that you won't hurt me or anyone I care about. Please." Lucifer sighs, then says, "I swear on the river Styx that I will not hurt you, or anyone you care about." "Thank you. Is there anything you need for me to do?"

"I'm confused. A lot has changed since I fell. The whole world is loud- bright- I don't remember anything like this. You've been here since these creatures started evolving, creating new inventions… Would you be willing to help me around? I think I'd get lost in thought or confusion if I were alone." The way he's asking- it's impossible to say no to this. "Sure. I remember when the biggest thing around here was the invention of writing. It really just takes a bit of getting used to."

"Alright. Thank you, Candace."

And that's how I ended up as the Devil's Tour Guide.


	16. Chapter 15

Explaining the 21st century to Satan has to be one of the weirdest things I have ever done. It isn't easy either! Lucifer doesn't want to know that the lightbulb _was_ invented, he wants to know _how_ it was invented. How humans learned to control electricity. I feel like I'm trying to teach a robotics, engineering and Technology class. At least he is a quick study… That's probably where I got it from.

Then I tried to explain the basics of an iPhone, the look of wonder and awe that crossed his face… Can you imagine an awestruck Satan? I can't tell if the wide eyes and small smile is creepy or adorable… I would have sent a quick text to Gabriel but there is zero service wherever I am. I settled for letting Lucifer explore my phone. I should have known letting him play Flappy Bird was a bad idea. Not only does he beat my highscore easily, he gets addicted. He nearly destroys my phone after he dies only three points away from beating his last high score.

Lucifer was able to get most information from his Vessel's memory, I just needed to confirm a couple things. Like for instance, he asked what the Hell 'twerking' was. "You really don't want to know." I answer, my voice begging him not to push forward. "Okay, What about 'BDSM'?" "THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" Fuck.

A grin spreads across Lucifer's face… He's messing with me! He is deliberately asking weird questions to make me uncomfortable! _Well duh! It's Lucifer._ _Shut up. You're not helping._ _Nah!_ _...Are we going crazy?_ _Nah, we just miss Gabe._ _So we're going crazy._ _Yup!_

Well, if his goal is to make me uncomfortable I just have to not get uncomfortable. I lock all emotions tied to this behind a very _very_ thick wall and answer as bluntly and humorlessly as possible. "I'm not going to explain...But it stands for, 'Bondage & Discipline' 'Domination & Sub-" "Okay! I get it! Geez, it was a joke! Not something I wish to discuss with my granddaughter!"

Did I just make Lucifer uncomfortable? Did I just correctly call the Devil's bluff? Can I put that on my resume? Under 'Achievements'? I am slightly proud of myself for that. I sassily place one hand on my hip, "Any other questions?"

"Yes actually, I want to know more about you… Your past." He says simply, shuffling in his chair in a way he is expecting a long story. My eyebrows furrow in confusion, "Why do you want to know about my life?" "I want to know everything my granddaughter has been up to. I'll have to check on Luca when I get the chance."

"Everything? Like from when you first entered the cage?" I ask, unsure. Lucifer nods, "Okay… that's a bit of a long story." "We have time." I launch off into my story, starting at the beginning. My parents dying after the war and going to Purgatory. Most of my siblings disappearing to do whatever it is they wanted to do. The years it was just Luca and I hiding away in random forest here and there. Teaching ourselves how to control our fire, only eating wild game to not catch suspicion.

Lilith chasing after the two of us. Luca getting away, me being not so lucky. I briefly explain the years working for Lilith and how after I dragged down Dean Winchester I decided to run. I had planned on stopping there but Lucifer waves his hand in a silent gesture to go on. I explain hunting on my own, meeting Gabriel, being flung into Afghanistan, Tony's suit, torching Obadiah. I even go into detail about the alternate reality where Castiel killed me.

"Why didn't you just burn him?" Lucifer asks, sounding quite confused. "Hell's fire doesn't work on Angels…" I trail off, quite confused. "Not Hell's fire, Holy fire." What in the world is he talking about? Seeing the look of confusion on my face ho goes on, "Gwyllgi and Grendel never taught you?" I shake my head, still very confused.

Lucifer sits up slightly, like it's his turn to tell a story. "I created your parents to be the perfect weapons against heaven. Formed out of Hell's fire and my grace, it took me forever to get the combination right, but you can create Holy fire, not just Hellfire…" I think about it for a second, It makes sense. "I have absolutely no idea how to do that…"

"...I could always teach you." Lucifer offers conversationally. I narrow my eyes slightly, "...What's the catch." Lucifer lets out a soft sigh, "Why does everyone assume I am going to try and trick them?" He asks mostly to himself, "Because you've acquired nicknames like Sata'an and The Devil?" He rolls his eyes, "Humans." I guess nicknames like that is something only Humans would give.

"Is it that hard to believe I don't want my Granddaughter to be killed the next time you run into an Angel? Why is it so hard to believe that I actually want to help you?" He starts to rant. "Because you're the father of lies?" I suggest timidly. I've never been one to be polite, even if they could kill me. "To others..Yes. But to you? No. I take care of my own."

"Okay… Against my better judgement, I'm trusting you… Teach me how to defend myself against Angels."

And that is how I ended up participating in both Training camp Gabriel and Training camp Lucifer. All I need now is camp Michael and camp Raphael. _Yeah, that's gonna happen…_ _Shut up._

[Page Break]

Gabriel's POV:

I pace back and forth in the living room of the Singer house. Where is she? This is all my fault. If I had moved faster, If I hadn't been to scared to dive after her. I failed to protect her, broke my promise. I try to reach out through my Telepathic link with her once again, I'm still blocked!

I continue to pace, my emotions causing Dean's beer bottle to shatter. "Seriously?! That was the fifth one! Stop pacing and calm your tits! We'll find your girlfriend… I'm sure she's fine." He complains. I stop pacing and whip around as fast as Angelly possible, which is pretty fast.

"A week! She has been missing for a week! With Lucifer for a week! A week and we don't have a single lead!" I shout, not caring that the lights end up being blown. This could probably be considered a major freak out. I was about to continue my rant when Sam cuts me off, gesturing at a page in a random book lying around.

"Hey, I was looking into how to track a Hellhound and there isn't much out there… Mostly stuff about to get to the Hound you need to find its demon, mate, Etc…" Sam starts, "How does that help us? She doesn't belong to anyone!" I ask annoyed and frustrated. "But you want her to belong to you…" I ignore Dean's idiotic muttering.

"Well, I found this… High-Level hounds can sniff each other out. Her brother, Luca, he would be able to find her easily…" Dean decides to mention one of the main problems with this theory. "If they could always find each other then why didn't Candace go to him?" "My guess? She had Lilith on her tail… Why would she lead the demon right to her brother?"

I interrupt, "Yeah, this is good and all...But how are we supposed to find Luca?" "Do you remember what Lilith said? Hiding out under some Volcano? Well get this, the volcano with the most electrical storms in the surrounding area about a month ago was Mount St. Helens in Washington. After that there is a trail of electric storms heading east… I've followed them to the Bighorn mountains in Wyoming."

"You think that's where her brother is? No, more important question, Can we trust Luca? I know that Candace would never betray us, but her brother? He is a Hellhound." Dean points out. "And Hellhounds are the most loyal beings out there. Especially when it comes to family and the high ranks. If it helps his sister he will help us." I say, sure and determined.

"Well, I guess we should go. We've got a full day's drive ahead of us. If we hurry, we can make it in 8 hours. Hopefully we can track the hound."

{page break}

The drive was long and boring. I think I consumed 6 packages of Skittles- the big bags, not the tiny ones. Internally I was freaking out, 'what if, what if, what if, what if'. What if Luca won't help us? What if we can't even find him? What if Lucifer hurts Candace? What if Candace dies? What if?

"We're here. Come on." Dean says. It almost sounds like an order. I understand why my brother is in love with him. "We need to get a backcountry permit to hike into the mountain range. I'll work on that." Sam informs us. "We'll meet you at the trailhead." Looking up at the sky, I see the clouds forming thunderheads. "It's gonna storm pretty soon." Sam nods. "Be careful."

Maybe half an hour later, Sam returns with the permits, and we start out on the mountain trails. I honestly doubt that Luca would be near the trail. If I were hiding from a demon, I would find the most out-of-the-way cave possible, and only leave to get food. Although, to be fair, I doubt I'd last longer than 3 days. I need to live in comfort.

Our hike leads us to a deep cave about 5 miles into the mountain range. It's just under the noses of the rangers, but deep enough that nobody would want to try to explore the cave. I take out a large flashlight and shine it around, walking further in, with Sam and Dean behind me. Once we reach 220 meters into the cave, I freeze in my tracks. There's another presence here. Not an angel, not a demon. Something… other. I shut off the flashlight and glance around. "What the hell are you doing? We need that light!" Dean stage-whispers. "Shush- there's something here." I look further into the dark, more toward my left, and see a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at me.

"Luca?" I ask. "We need your help." The dire-wolf creature jumps at me, before retreating and sending up a line of flames around us. "What are you doing here?" he growls. Luca sniffs at the air before releasing a feral growl. "Why do I smell my sister's blood on you?" "I can explain-" I start forward, but have to jump back when he shoots a flamethrower-like torch at me and the Winchesters. "Not another step!" "Lu-" "Not another word!"

So, this is how I die. Burnt up by Holy fire in a cave.

"I drank her blood. She wanted to get me off Demon blood, so she half-drained herself to keep me alive." Sam explains. "She's still alive, but we need your help finding her. Lucifer's out of the cage. He kidnapped Candace and took her somewhere, but we don't know where, or how to track her." Nice going, Moose…

Luca seems to contemplate this before waving a paw, making the flames go out. He then shifts into a human form. Tall- maybe 6 feet tall- curly light brown/dark blonde hair, from what I can tell in the torchlight- red eyes, like Candace- dark skin. "How is she doing?" he asks gently. "I haven't seen her in- wow, millennia, now. Lilith had demons on my ass for a long time, I just figured out I could torch them."

"She… Is getting better." I answer carefully. So apparently killing demons is a skill Candace learned after being around them so much. "What happened?" Luca asks concerned… Does he not know? "Luca, when was the last time you saw Candace?" Sam asks, gathering my train of thought.

"We got separated a while back… Split up to draw the demons away from each other. We weren't the best at hiding back then… We just kept running." "Well, hate to break it to you. You didn't split up, Candace stayed back to act as decoy. Lilith has had her on a leash this whole time up until a couple months ago." Dean says emotionlessly. Well, way to break it to him slowly. "Way to go, Dean. I think you broke him." Luca just stares at Dean blankly. "You're lying." Luca says, almost trying to convince himself.

I shake my head, no. Almost instantly the flames come back in the cave, but avoiding us. The flames dance around, changing colors, Blue, Green, Purple, White, Black, at one time I swore I saw a rainbow. " **She will Burn!** " The boys and I take one simultaneous step back from the angry flaming Hellhound. "She already has. Candace branded her seven days ago. Lilith's gone. She's not gonna hurt either of you now." Sam dares to speak.

Luca slowly lets the flames die… "You good? Not going to roast us?" Dean asks. "Not going to roast you." "Okay, good. We should probably get going… Somehow, I think it would be best to get Candace away from Lucifer as fast as possible." Gee, ya think?

[Page Break]

 **Candace's POV:**

While it takes the entirety of a week for me to learn all of the tricks I should have been taught when I was a child. Every single ability given to my parents, Lucifer teaches me. Holy fire, Hell's fire, regular fire, dragon's fire… Basically fire. He teaches me everything an Alpha would be able to do, just without me actually being an Alpha.

"Technically, since Gwyllgi and Grendel are in Purgatory and none of your siblings know how to use these abilities, you are the highest ranking Hound, making you the Alpha…" Lucifer comments. Oh, so he's like Gabe and likes to read people's mind. "Don't worry, I'm not about to set up a mental link, Gabriel wouldn't be too happy about that."

The past week has been completely different than one would expect. Lucifer is a good cook, not as good as Gabe, but close. Well, both of them just snap up food so they aren't exactly cooks… They are good snap cooks? _Eh… just roll with it._ _Not important anyway._

"...I am starting to wonder about your mental health." Did I just get called crazy by Lucifer? _Achievement unlocked_ _. Shut up shut up shut up._ "Why are you mentally arguing with yourself?" Somehow I feel like he does the same… being alone for millennia and all.

Why am I mentally talking to myself? _Gabe isn't here to make the sarcastic comments._ _So, I'm making them for him?_ _I guess we just got used to his awesomeness!_ _A+ for imitation._ _Thank you!_ Lucifer just looks at me oddly for a minute, "How often is he in your head?" I think about it for a moment, "Almost always…"

Lucifer continues to stare at me oddly, like he can't believe whatever is happening. "...How did my granddaughter go from, on the run from everyone, to in a love triangle in just a couple months?" What is he talking about? I'll admit to having a small crush on Tony but I know that is never going to happen… "And you're oblivious of his affections." "I'm not oblivious. He's outright asked me to date him. I just don't think he has the commitment or faithfulness."

"Not talking about him, sweetheart!" "Then who the Hell are you talking about?" "Nah ah! Not doing anyone any favors! You'll either have to figure it out for yourself or wait for him to suck it up and tell you! Like that's going to happen." He says that last part to himself.

I roll my eyes and shift on the couch I have taken to laying across in this modern home's living room. Apparently Lucifer decided to hang out at his vessel's place for a while. We spend the next hour or so talking about random things, sharing pointless stories. The entire time Lucifer is trying to beat his last Flappy Bird score.

I was about to ask another question when I am cut off by the sound of a 1967 Impala driving up to the front of the house. Lucifer stands up, discreetly pocketing my phone. "Well, it would seem this family reunion is coming to a close… See you soon." And with that he disappears, without a single sound. No snap, no rustle of feathers- he is just... gone.

Within a couple more minutes Gabe, Dean, Sam and… Luca? All come barging in, Luca looking ready to burn anything he sees, Boys have their guns ready and Gabe is spinning his Archangel blade in his fingers. I casually wave at them from where I'm lounging on the couch. "Hello Boys! Fancy seeing you here!" I comment, extremely laid back.

Within two seconds Gabe is by my side, placing two fingers on my forehead. I feel the slight fatigue and headache caused by Lucifer's training disappear, along with some sort of haze lifting from my thoughts. Is he using his grace to heal me? "Gabe! I'm fine! Not a scratch." I assure.

"What happened?" Sam asks. "I almost fell into Luci's cage, he caught me and brought me here. We shared stories, caught up, family reunion type thing. I gave him the basic information he would need to survive in the 21st century. And then we shared more stories." I sum up quickly. I then turn to Luca, "Hey Luke! Not that I'm not happy to see you… Why are you here?"

"They told me that you were in trouble…" He trails off. "Well, I'm fine. I'm in perfect shape, Lucifer even taught me a few tricks." I say with a smirk. "Tricks? The devil taught you tricks? Why does this sound like a horrible development?" Dean asks rhetorically.

"He just taught me everything Mum and Dad knew." I say in defence. "Everything Mom and Dad knew? They're Alphas! He taught you the Alpha powers?" Luca asks in shock. "Yep. Everything. You wish you were as awesome as me, don't you?" I smirk. I let loose a small variety of flames- ranging all colours, types, sizes- as well as demonstrate my enhanced hallucinatory powers. I can show what I want the intended recipient to see- be it good or bad. If only I had this when I was torching Obadiah… I could have done so much more, if I only had time. Then, with a snap, everything disappears. "Impressed?"

Gabe is smiling admiringly at me. Dean and Sam are staring at me. Luca, I think he's the personification of this emoji: O-O "Holy crap…" "I fail to see how that is in any way Holy, but...you do you." I sass. "No one is going to be upset that _Lucifer_ was the one to teach her all this?" Dean shouts, annoyed.

"I would have learned eventually anyway…" I shrug, after another couple centuries. Gabe seems to recheck me for injuries, "You sure he didn't do anything to you?"

"He stole my phone…"


	17. Chapter 16

"KIDNAPPED BY LUCIFER! THE DEVIL! YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR A DAY AND YOU GET KIDNAPPED BY SATAN!" Tony shrieks as he paces back and forth in front of me. I try to disappear into the couch. Sure, I could have actually used my invisibility but I don't think that would fly very well.

Sam, Dean, Gabe and Luca are all standing around the room. Gabe and Dean look amused, Sam just looks bored and Luca… Looks confused. "He didn't hurt me…" I sigh, knowing that this isn't going to deter him at all. His protectiveness is kinda cute though…

"I DON'T CARE. YOU GOT KIDNAPPED BY THE FUCKING DEVIL. I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND HOW CRAZY THIS IS. I had to explain to those SHIELD guys why you were leaving so quickly. And J tells me that you almost died on the way to Sioux Falls? WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?" Tony is basically ranting now.

"I was thinking that I needed to save Sam." I answer easily. I reach down and pull out the bottle of scotch I know Tony hides under the couch, His 'I-ran-out-and-am-to-lazy-to-go-buy-more' emergency stash. I pour myself a glass, then I contemplate the consequences before chugging the bottle as Tony starts ranting again.

"So, let me just sum up your week, huh? Nearly died driving to Sioux Falls, risked your life to kill a demon, the same demon in fact, that you have been running from, and then to top it all off! YOU GOT KIDNAPPED BY THE DEVIL!"

Gabriel pulls the bottle of scotch away from me before I can even get buzzed. Stupid Hellhound metabolism not letting me get drunk easily! _**I don't need you turning into an Alcoholic.**_ I nearly sigh in relief at hearing his voice inside my head again. I really missed that, actually. _**Really? I guess I'll just have to talk more often then!**_ _...Crap._ _Double crap._ _**Oh, there's two of you? Lovely!**_

A snap resonated inside my head and the annoying voice from the second me dissipates. _**You actually went crazy without me around.**_ _I'm so used to your annoying comments that I started making and responding to them on my own._ _ **Oh please! You're just so used to my awesomeness you go crazy without it!**_

"Are you listening to a damn word I've been saying?" Tony snaps. "Oh, shit, you're going crazy. Or is it me? I'm not even sure." Dean smiles. "Welcome to our world." Tony looked like he was about to continue his rant when the front door opens and Pepper comes in.

She walks calmly through the house, only glancing at me for a second, "Nice to see you're alive and well. Please be more careful next time." She says calmly. Tony's jaw drops, "So I do something stupid, you yell at me for an hour… She does something stupid, you say one line and then you're done?" He asks.

Pepper places a hand on her hip, "JARVIS, how long has Tony been yelling at Candace?" "One hour, eleven minutes, and seven seconds." The AI responds. "Her hour of being yelled at is up." Pepper announces before turning to the boys. "I've met Sam and Dean briefly. Gabe is here way too often… And you are?" She asks, gesturing to Luca.

"My name is Luca, I'm Candace's older brother. "17 minutes!" "Still the older one." Luca argues. "That is like saying Geri is the mature one…" I deadpan. "Well, Freki did father werewolves. Out of those two, Geri _is_ the mature one." I shake my head.

"Out of all of us, I'm pretty sure Lupa is the only one not crazy…" I comment. "The eldest of us is currently adopting Roman demigods as her own and training them to hunt monsters…" "Okay, so our elder siblings aren't completely sane and nothing is going to change that…" "And nothing is going to change you being the baby of the family." "By a technicality!"

Luca was about to comment something else but Dean cuts him off, "While it's always nice to see some family bonding, we need to get to work on our anti-apocalypse plans. We're going to head out." Dean says, pointing to the door. "Sure, let me just grab my stuff…" I say gesturing upstairs.

"NO." a couple voices ring out. I specifically hear Tony and Sam, but I'm pretty sure everyone spoke. Gabe is the one that continues the sentence, "You just got kidnapped by Lucifer. Take a well deserved vacation." "I don't have a scratch on me!" I argue. "Only because I healed you. Take a break."

"I'm not going to sit around on my butt while you guys are trying to save the world!" Tony is the one to answer this time, "Humor us? The opening of the Stark Expo is in two weeks, give or take. Stay down until then." I roll my eyes, "Do I have a choice in the matter?" "No, not really." "Looks like I'm staying home for two whole weeks. What are you guys going to do?"

Sam shrugs, "Try and find a way to prevent the apocalypse, easier said than done, Maybe hunt whatever crosses our paths along the way." I glance over to Luca, "And you?" "I've been hiding in caves for the past Millennia… I'm going to explore the world. If you guys need anything or if there is anyway I can help feel free to call me on these Phone thingies." He replies, shaking the burner phone for effect.

"You should try a Bacon Cheeseburger! One of the best inventions ever! Right next to Chocolate, Popcorn and Gummy bears." Luca hesitantly nods before following the Winchesters out the door. Well...This is going to be a fun two weeks.

"Of course it is! I'm going to hang around!" Gabriel announces plopping down beside me on the couch, snapping up bags of Popcorn, Gummy bears and Hershey's kisses. Correction, this is going to be a _long_ two weeks. At least I'm getting my favorite foods.

[Page Break]

The weeks pass by just as slowly as I expected them to. Everyday the same thing in seemingly endless loop. Get up, eat whatever food Gabe tries to shove down my throat that morning. From breakfast til lunch Gabe and I will meet up in Tony's new gym and train. Apparently 'Camp Gabriel' is still in effect.

Gabe shoves more food down my throat and I join Tony in the Lab. Gabe fills that time with his usual odd comments then drags us up to dinner. After another hour or so in the lab Gabe insists that I get at least eight hours of sleep before the whole thing starts over again.

I'm currently in my room getting ready for Tony's stupid Expo. Simple Black dress and red jewelry. Some grey eyeshadow to make my blood red eyes pop. I hear a whistle from behind me, "Gabriel...Why are you in my room?" I ask, not even turning to see who it is. At least he waited until I was dressed. "Yeah, and I was tempted not to!" Comes the Trickster's sassy response.

I love how he conveniently ignored my question. I open my closet, grab the first pair of black heels I see and start strapping them on. "You going to answer me?" "Are you expecting an answer?" In all honesty? No. It would be nice to get one anyway. "Sorry to disappoint."

No you're not. I open my bedroom door and start making my way down the stairs, Gabe following me. Downstairs, Tony is waiting for me, along with Pepper. "You ready to go?" He asks. "I wouldn't have come down here if I wasn't." I point out. I've been spending too much time with Gabe.

"Nah, you were sassy even before you got exposed to my pure awesomeness, now you're just more so." Loki/Gabriel comments, patting my shoulder, "Welp! I'm going to leave you to it! I'll keep in touch, yada yada yada." He holds up his hand, ready to snap himself out of here, "Where are you going?" Tony asks. A smirk crawls across Gabe's face, "Your Expo is a little tame for my taste." He snaps his fingers and disappears.

I roll my eyes and start walking towards the door. Let's get this over with. Pepper and I get driven by Happy to the Expo. Tony, however, has decided to show up in his suit. So he is getting into his private jet and his going to literally drop out of the sky. _**Over the top much?**_ _Pot, Kettle… I thought you were going to have your own fun?_ _ **I can party with Olympians and talk to you at the same time.**_ _Would you thank Zeus for dropping his grudge for me? And don't team up to prank someone with Apollo and Hermes!_ _ **Ugh...Fine!**_

I get out of the car, Happy holding the door open for Pepper and I. We walk into the Expo and go to our reserved seats in the front row. Happy brings us a couple drinks for while we wait. "So, Pepper. You seem to be a lot more accepting about what happened a couple weeks ago.." I bring up, taking a sip of the wine.

She sighs, taking her own sip. "It's already my job to yell at Tony when he does something stupid and I'm practically running his company. It is not, however, in my job description to tell _you_ what to do… I'm just going to focus on Tony."

I nod, understanding. "Cleaning up after Tony must be an exhausting job." I comment. "He… He has actually gotten better, Believe it or not." I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Really? I haven't noticed." "It's probably because you haven't spent as much time with him as I have… He's been trying to act more… Responsible, I guess is the word, if that's even possible." "Huh.."

I turn back to the stage. I can't believe I didn't notice. The lights overhead turn off, I guess Tony's introduction is starting, Finally. The sooner this is over, the sooner I can join up with the Winchester's and try to stop the end of the world. _**I hope you guys know it's impossible. Mikey and Luce are going to fight.**_ _Then we stop them from fighting, either physically or get them to get along._ _ **That's not going to happen, Destiny is going to play out the way it was written to.**_ _If destiny and fate were real I would be dragging souls into Hell...There is no such thing._

My conversation with Gabriel ends as a couple dozen dancers, all dressed in Iron Man themed clothes, come on stage and start dancing. Really? They look like highclass stripers. Not long after Tony comes falling from the sky, landing right in the middle of the stage. The crowd goes wild, and with my newly upgraded Alpha level senses, it feels like I'm about to lose my hearing.

Tony makes a huge show of using his technology to take off the suit. "Oh, It's good to be back!" He thrives as the center of attention doesn't he? "Blow something up!" A random member of the audience shouts. "Blow something up? I already did that."

Tony then begins this long speech he has most likely rehearsed a thousand times, "I'm not saying that the world is enjoying the longest period of uninterrupted peace in years because of me. I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a greater phoenix metaphor been personified in human history. I'm not saying that Uncle Sam can kick back on a lawn chair, sipping on an iced tea because I haven't come across anyone who's man enough to go toe-to-toe with me on my best day."

I have so many problems with this speech I can't just pick one. _**What's the problem? His modesty or him refusing to admit that he wouldn't be able to take down half of the stuff you have hunted?**_ _Both._ Another random fan yells, "I love you, Tony!"

"Please, it's not about me. It's not about you. It's not even about us. It's about legacy. It's about what we choose to leave behind for future generations. And that's why for the next year and for the first time since 1974, the best and brig-" I zone out about right here, it's all going to be Tony talking him and his Expo up. It's all incredibly boring. _**Understand why I skipped out?**_ _Any chance you can sneak me into the Olympian party?_ _ **Don't need Tony freaking out because you disappeared again…**_

I roll my eyes and wait for Tony to finish his speech, it doesn't take too terribly long before we start making our way towards the car. Half of the girls surrounding the exit ask variations of the same question, "Do you remember me?" "Nope!" Tony also acknowledges some guy named Larry. _**Oh! Look! It's another Stan Lee cameo!**_ _Really, man? Really? Who the Hell is Stan Lee?_

There is one girl waiting by Tony's car. She's pretty, I'll admit. I ignore the woman, getting into the passenger seat of the car, kicking Happy into the back. "Who are you?" Tony asks the woman. "Marshal, I was sent to carry a message…" She says trying to hand Tony an envelope. I go ahead and snatch the letter without waiting for Tony to mention his peeve.

"..You are hereby ordered to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m." Great...More conferences, meetings and events. Tony turns to Happy and I briefly, "How far are we from D.C.?" "250 miles." I answer easily. Tony doesn't waste another second before hitting the gas. It would seem we are going to D.C.

I place my elbow against the door of the car, resting my head on my palm. My thoughts return to my earlier conversation with Pepper. ' _He's been trying to act more… Responsible, I guess is the word, if that's even possible.'_ I guess he has…

Ever since we had that conversation before the 'I am Iron Man' press conference he hasn't brought home any random girls. Today he didn't flirt with anyone… Even brushed off some of the girls that flirted with him. Maybe he is capable of squashing his Playboy ways…

Perhaps… I _can_ trust him to be faithful and committed. Perhaps, letting myself fall in love with him will end okay. It might even end great! I'm going to do it, I'm going to let myself bond with him! I'll talk to Tony about it after the meeting with the Senate. _**Be careful… You could bond and be happy, but he will die eventually. He isn't immortal like you are.**_ _What happened to you? I thought you were all for Tony and I._ … _**Just be careful, the bond will break when he dies, and that can be devastating… Emotionally and Physically.**_

I spend the rest of the ride in silence, No conversation mentally or with the people in the car. Tony pulls up to a five-star hotel in D.C. after he get's us a couple of rooms I head upstairs and immediately plop onto the bed… It's time to sleep. A soft haze consumes my thoughts and I'm lost into a fantastically dreamless sleep.

[Page Break]

"Mr. Stark, can we please pick up where we left off?" The senator asks from his place at the giant table in front. Tony is dozing off in his seat in front of me. Apparently I'm not allowed to sit next to him, whatever. "Mr. Stark!" Tony jolts awake, "Yes dear?" Even half asleep he can manage to make witty, sarcastic and humorous remarks.

"Do you or do you not possess a specialized weapon?" "It depends on how you define the word 'weapon'." Tony responds. "The Iron Man weapon!" "My device does not fit that description." _**I still find it funny that they are trying to take it for the military just because it classifies as a weapon.**_ _Like taking all of the paintings in your house and putting them in a museum just because they classify as art._

"Then what is it?" "It's a high tech prosthesis." "It's a weapon. It's a weapon, Mr. Stark." The senator argues. _**They're just jealous that they don't have someone who can create tech like that.**_ _Eh, that's really true._ "Please, if your priority was actually the well-being of the American citizen-" Tony starts before the Senator cuts him off.

"My priority is getting the Iron Man weapon turned over to the U.S. Military and to clear up some inconsistencies in the reports filed." "Well, the first one isn't an option so go ahead and discuss the second." Tony says. I wonder how many people in here want to facepalm and roll their eyes at the same time right now? _**All of them.**_

"In the Military's reports, on the days you first used your weapon," "High tech prosthesis." "There wasn't one airborne craft in the air, but two. Also, none of the suits recorded have flamethrowers attached to them." Uh oh. "What are you asking Senator?" Tony asks.

"Do you have a 'sidekick' that you equipped with fire based equipment?" Shit! How do I deal with this? Tony is a terrible liar and having the whole world know I have powers isn't on my to-do list. _**See how Tony handles it and hope he doesn't let anything slip.**_

"No, I do not have a 'sidekick' I have a partner. They don't want to be under the spotlight so, I tried to keep them off the record." Tony answers easily. "And how did this 'partner' of yours receive this technology?" _**What is this, an interrogation?**_ _May as well be..._ My hands start heating up quite a bit, and I focus the power to the surface of my skin, burning two hand prints into the surface of the table. I try to keep my hands over the scorch marks as much as possible and hope that nobody notices.

"They built it themselves… Kinda like my protege, Batman and Robin like thing." Did he just? _**He did.**_ _Not cool. Why am I Robin?_ _**You're younger- well, you look younger.**_ "What is their name?" The senator asks. "We haven't decided, I've been thinking something firey! Wildfire? Spitfire? Firebrand? Firestar? Hellfire? I'm partial to something Houndish… Blazing Hound? Hot Dog? Man, I dunno…" "If you could please focus." _**Some of those ain't bad.**_ _You are not naming me._ _ **How about Cinder wolf? Pyrofang?**_ _No._ _ **You're no fun…**_ _Because that's your job._ _**...Crimson Hound?**_ _NO!_

"I wasn't asking for whatever stupid nickname you decided to give your partner, I'm asking for their actual name." The senator corrects. "Not going to happen, you don't get to stalk them and you don't get my suit. Anything else you want to address or am I free to go?"


	18. Chapter 17

We get home and I don't even bother making my way upstairs, I just plop right down on the couch. The meeting was a nightmare. They somehow managed to find reason to keep Tony there, bring in an annoying guy called Justin Hammer and continued to harass Tony about the suit and my Identity.

Tony then decided to hack into their systems and give some stupid speech. I'm not even going to think about how they tried to manipulate Rhodey. _**Yeah, it's probably unwise to question it. I'm not liking this Hammer guy… ugh.**_ _You and me both. I was really tempted to burn him._ _ **Oh, thanks for asking, the party was awesome. Hermes and I poured a punch bowl of wine over Dionysus. That was fun.**_ _I told you not to team up with him!_ _ **You only specified Hermes AND Apollo- not one or the other.**_ _Oh my God, shut up._

I feel kind of bad for Dionysus, I forget the details but for some reason Zeus banned him from consuming alcohol. The god of wine not being allowed to drink wine was bad enough, Then Gabriel comes along and pours it over his head. That's just plain cruel. _**It was funny!**_ _Did Dionysus laugh?_ _ **...No.**_

Tony makes his way to the lab, "Tony! Can I talk to you for a minute?" I shout after him, stopping him at the top of the stairs. "You are…" He trails off, "...But I'm sure you can keep talking." I roll my eyes and pull him over to the couch, grabbing a bottle of wine.

I pour us each a glass and steel my nerves, Why am I so nervous at the moment? _**You're about to confess to the guy you have had a crush on?**_ _Shut up._ "Do you remember our conversation about six months ago? Right before the 'I am Iron Man' speech?" I ask, figuring this is the best segway.

"Where I promised I could be faithful and committed then you told me that it was impossible and to give up?" Tony says bluntly, taking his glass of wine. I wince back slightly at the tone, not how I expected this conversation to go. "Well, I've been thinking-" "Uh oh." "- and I've come to the conclusion that I-"

My words are cut off by the sound of rustling feathers behind us. Gabriel! Why do you have to choose now of all times to- It's not Gabriel. It's Castiel. My mind switches to autopilot, Fight or flight kicking in, and I chose fight. Moving with a speed I didn't know I had, I quickly pin the intruder up against the closest wall, my arm across his neck, making him immobile.

I pull his Angel blade out of the sleeve of his trenchcoat and toss it behind me, satisfied by the clang it makes on the ground, all in the span of about 3 seconds. "Sam and Dean need you to come in." He says. I draw a single hand back, letting it be consumed in Holy fire. "Are you kidding me? I'm busy! You have two seconds to tell me why you are here before you're turning into roast Seraph." I growl, the last time he killed me fresh in my mind. The entire week in Tartarus.

A single hand is placed on my back, "Candace, while you have every right to kill 'em, he doesn't remember why… Back up til then? M'kay?" Gabriel's voice sounds from behind me. I hesitantly back away from the Angel, picking up his blade from the floor. Definitely not giving this back to him.

"Can someone explain what is going on?!" Dean asks. I didn't even notice that they were here. Castiel must have zapped them in when he came here as well. Sam is the one that answers his older brother, "We may have forgotten that Castiel killed her… Fight or flight." I do a quick once over of the boys. Sam doesn't have as much of my blood pumping through his veins as last time I saw him, but no withdrawal symptoms, I guess they started to wean him off properly. Another month or so and he will be in tip top shape.

Dean hasn't changed much, not that I can tell anyway. The claim Castiel placed on his arm is slightly stronger… He is aware of it but he hasn't accepted the fact that Castiel called dibs. Since he knows about it, it will not be much longer until Castiel and Dean become official. It's amazing how much I can read off of a person now… Before Luci taught me the skills of an Alpha I could only get a base feel for their personality, Now I can see their mental and physical health. Major personality traits and whether they are destined for Heaven or Hell, plus a couple other things. Can't read memories though.

Gabriel snaps his fingers and a look of realization crosses Castiel's face. "My apologies, I didn't realize you were Candace Armina at the time. I purely saw a monster near my charge." Castiel tries to apologize. "Save it. Why are you here?"

Dean answers, most likely so that Castiel can't spew any more comments that might set me off. "We need your help." "Obviously." I roll my eyes. "We found a Cambion!" Sam continues. A Cambion? I think back, when was a Cambion ordered to be born… "Jesse?" I ask

"Yeah… How do you know that?" Sam says surprised. I feel my hands clench at the memory. "The kid dropped under the demons' radar a while back… She was furious when I refused to sniff him out…" I answer, doing my best to keep both my voice calm and the memories at bay.

"Yeah, well. The kid's powers started acting up recently. Everything he believes happens! Itching powder will make you scratch your brains out. Joy buzzers shocking people to death. People's faces getting 'stuck that way'! A couple of kids have stomach ulcers from mixing Pop Rocks and soda." Dean starts explaining.

"So what do you want me to do?" I ask, laughing internally at some of the tricks the kid's powers are playing. "The Kid's a Hell spawn. You know the most about Hell. What do we do with 'em?" I take a minute to consider everything.

Both Heaven or Hell are going to be coming after him. Demons to use, Angels to kill. While letting the kid live some ordinary life is preferable, it's impossible. "I can think of two decent options…" I mutter. "And?" "Option one is simple, and I'm sure Stabby Mcstabberson over here has already proposed. You kill 'em." I say, still thinking. "Then, you'd be doing the angels a favour… not sure that's what you intend." "What's next?" Sam asks.

"You could shield him from both Angel's and Demon's view. It would take several wards, _a lot_ of mojo from all of us and the kid would have to agree to never leave town." I sum up. "Really? That's all you got? The first one isn't going to happen and the second one is impossible!" Dean complains.

"Those are the only _decent_ options I can think of…" "And the not decent ones?" Sam pushes. I sigh, "One of us could raise the kid… Teach him how to control his powers, teach him the basic 'Demons are bad' drill." I finish. The room goes quiet.

"It's our best option…" Sam points out. "Yeah, Yeah. One problem, Sam. I'm not gonna raise him. You don't have time. There's no way." I mentally go through our options once again. "The Winchesters can't raise 'em due to their occupation. Any angel is out for obvious reasons, no offence… I guess that either leaves me or…" I sum up.

Tony waves his hand from the couch, "Yoohoo! What about me?" He asks. I raise an eyebrow. "Tony… You don't know how to tie your own shoes… You're not qualified for taking care of a kid." I explain bluntly. "I do so!" "Say you do! Here are a couple easy questions for you… At what age are kids allowed to call shotgun? What does a decent sleeping schedule look like? And finally, How old does someone have to be to be allowed to drink?" I ask.

"You have to be a certain age to drink?" Tony asks, genuinely shocked. "I rest my case. So, either I'm adopting a child or we call my brother." I announce turning back to the group. Sam look surprised, "You think Luca will be okay with a kid?" I shrug my shoulders, "I don't see why he wouldn't be; He has wanted children forever but being on the run doesn't exactly make it easy."

"I'll call him. Not sure where he is, but he can help you guys out with this kid." Gabe says. "Besides, I feel like handling this situation quickly is in our best interest. We don't need any more people dying." _No shit, Sherlock._ _ **Death isn't good. I mean, heaven is ok, but the fear of death is what gets people terrified of dying.**_ _In some weird way, that actually made sense…_

Gabe gets out his cellphone- which I still find odd that he even has- and calls Luca. "Hello! You've always wanted kids right?... Good! 'Cause we found one for ya!... Name's Jesse, a cambion who needs someone to teach him how to use his powers….Where are you?" Gabriel says. It's not that difficult to infer Luca's responses. Gabriel snaps his fingers and Luca lands on the couch with a thud, barely missing Tony. "Whoa… Man, watch where you zap people! He could have crushed me!" Tony groans. "Sorry." The not-so-apologetic angel says.

"A little warning next time would be nice!" Luca grumbles. "This is a time-sensitive manner. We should go." Gabe, Mostly just to mess with Luca, snaps his fingers once again and Dean, Sam, Castiel, Luca, Gabriel and I all land in a small little motel room. Judging from the duffel bags of guns and overall crappiness of the place, I'm assuming this is where Sam and Dean are staying at the moment. I'm not going to ask why there is a half-eaten roasted pig on the table.

We almost don't all fit in this room. I take to sitting at the table by the window, trying to give everyone else room to breathe. The others, save Castiel, all glare at Gabe. "Really? Just...Really?" Dean asks. "Something you should probably already know about Gabe...Tell him to do something and he will do the exact opposite." I point out, not really caring. "Yeah, I kinda figured." Luca mutters.

I glance around the room...Too many people. We are going to talk to a kid, this many adults will set him on edge. Castiel wanted to kill him… So he can't come. Luca is the one Jesse is going to be living with until I can take over, he needs to be there so Jesse can get familiar with him. Gabe doesn't _need_ to be there. _**Oh, you don't need me? That's nice.. I'll just leave then.**_ _You're going to be bouncing around in my head anyway...You don't need to be there Physically, we're just talking to a kid._

"Have you talked to Jesse yet?" I ask. "Uh...Yeah, briefly." Sam answers. "So he'll recognize you?" "Yeah…" "Good. He'll need a somewhat familiar face there when we go talk to him. Which one of you got along with him better?" I ask. "I guess that'd be me." Dean speaks up.

"Okay, so Angels and Sam are on perimeter, Both Angels and Demons are after this kid… You give us time to talk, tell him what he needs to know. Dean, Luca and I will talk to him." I direct. Dean's eyebrows raise, "And when did we elect you Team Captain?" "When you realised I'm the only sensible one around here. Pepper would outrank me on that front, but she's not here."

Gabe claps his hand. "Welp, Now that we have that settled, Let's get to work!"

[Page Break]

Dean, Luca and I walk up to this nice little house in the middle of practically nowhere, yet still only a couple minutes from town. I'm guessing that Jesse's powers have always been working, just lately with Lucifer out of the cage, they got a boost. It went from only being able to affect the farm, to affecting the whole town.

I ring the doorbell and I can hear footsteps approaching the door. It barely peeks open and Jessie can be seen through the crack. He looks about ten years old, brown hair that almost comes down to to his eyes. Hard to believe that this kid is stronger than me…

"Hey Jesse, you remember me?" Dean asks. The door opens just a little bit wider, "Yeah." "Well, these are my friends Candace and her brother Luca. They need to discuss a couple things with you… Is it okay if we come in?" Jesse hesitantly opens the door and lets us into the house.

He guides us to the living room. We all sit down, Luca and I on the couch, Dean and Jesse take each of the arm chairs. "Jesse… What we are going to say is going to sound a bit crazy… Can you bear with us?" I ask, figuring that is as decent place as any to start. After a short nod I decide to continue.

"Do you believe in monsters, Jesse?" I ask. "Like Vampires and Werewolves?" I nod my head. "They're out there! They just don't want people to know! We would start hunting them if we did." Jesse responds, It would seem we found a conversation that he enjoys to talk about.

"Do you think they are good or bad?" I ask, with a little smile on my face. "I think… That some of them are bad, and some good. Like Vampires! Some try to kill humans, others could be blending in, perhaps they work at hospitals! Drinking the donated blood that pass the legal expiration date!"

Dean has a similar smile on his face, funny how accurate he is. "Now… What if we told you it's our job to Kill the bad monsters?" I ask. Jesse's face turns into a mix between Awe and Suspicion. Suspicion takes over, "You guy's aren't cops are you?" He asks, looking around at us.

"Sorta, We fall under private investigators… Our own little division. If we hear a monster has been killing people… We go after it. If they don't kill people we most likely won't even notice them." I explain. Jesse narrows his eyes at us. "Then, if you're supposed to be chasing the bad monsters… Why are you here? Talking to me?"

I sigh, what is it with kids and always asking the impossible questions? "I'm going to tell you a story… Can you promise not to ask any questions until I finish?" He nods and I begin. "You see… About ten years ago a Demon decided to posses a woman. While she was possessed she had a child. A mix between Human and Demon, We call them Cambions. They are powerful, more powerful than almost anything else… The woman knew that demons would want to use her child. Make him evil, use him to destroy the world… So she did everything she could to make sure they would never find him. Put him up for adoption, because if she didn't know where her son was… How could the demons?" I start to explain.

I can see the realization slowly starting to crawl across his face. "Not too long ago, Lucifer came to the surface… His power is spilling into the atmosphere, causing Hurricanes, Earthquakes, tornadoes, you name it. It's also causing the Cambion's powers to be stronger… Without even realizing it, whatever the Child believes becomes true. Joy Buzzers can electrocute people, itching powder will cause you to scratch your brains out. There are even some people whose faces have gotten 'stuck that way'." I finish.

Jesse stands up quickly, holding his hands out in front of him like he is disgusted by them. "I'm half Demon?! I'm a monster?! I- I killed people?!" He asks frantically. The ground beneath us starts to shake with small tremors. I jump forward grabbing a hold of his hands, doing my best to block a portion of his powers, "It's not a bad thing. There are such thing as good monsters and even the bad ones can try to be redeemed…" I answer.

"How would you know?!" I hold up a single hand, letting it catch on fire. "Because I'm a monster too. No matter how horrible you think you are for something you can't change, trust me… I'm worse." Jesse seems to calm down a bit, "How can you be worse? I'm half demon! I've killed people!"

I shake my head at him, "Jesse… My grandfather's name, Is Lucifer…" I see the shock and fear slowly crawl across his face- his powers act up and I'm flung up against the nearest wall, suspended a couple feet in the air. I don't even bother trying to get free of his psychic hold; If it makes him feel safer then I'll stay up here.

I see Dean and Luca move to get up but with a single look Jesse keeps them pinned to their chairs. "Why are you here?" Jesse asks, no- more like demands. "Your powers are attracting more than just our attention. The demons are going to be coming after you, going to try and use you…" I take a second to make sure that he is listening.

"We can help you, keep you away from the demons, keep them from using you. We can teach you how to control your powers…" The grip keeping me held to the wall tightens slightly, starting to restrict my breathing. In the back of my head I wonder if I could get out if I tried. _**Probably… Archangels are more powerful than a Cambion and you've been trained by two. Plus, he isn't able to tap into all of his powers yet.**_ _Any signs of the demon?_ _ **I have him in a demon trap out here...**_

"How can I trust you? How do I know you're not one of the bad monsters?" Jesse asks. "You don't…" I say softly, "But my brother and I are a lot like you… Our fire? Demons want to control that power. They did for awhile. They caught me and used me. Forced me to do awful things. Things I can never make up for… I'm trying to save you from the same fate. From this guilt." I answer.

Jesse slowly lowers me back towards the ground; from the way Dean and Luca flex their muscles I can tell that they are free as well. "The demons… Are they ever going to leave me alone?" I slowly walk up to him and place a hand on his shoulder, "If you get strong enough, you can just tell them to stay away… You are going to be much more powerful than any demon. They may be mean but they aren't stupid." I say gently.

"And my parents?" He asks, looking around at the house that has been his home forever. "The demons don't want them… But they won't be safe if you stay here." I say regretfully. "What should I do?" He asks, looking up to me. A small smile graces my lips, "That's why we are here. My brother… Luca." I say, gesturing towards him. "He can take care of you. Explore the four corners of the world all while he teaches you how to control your powers."

"Why can't I stay with you?!" Jesse suddenly asks, looking quite worried. I don't think he trust the others… Here I've gone, telling him everything about why I'm here, my motives, Even pieces of my past. The boys have just sat there and listened, given him no sign that they trust him or he should trust them.

I crouch down so that I am his height. "You can… If that's what you want…" I don't even get time to finish before Jesse starts nodding his head furiously, up and down. "You didn't let me finish… But I'm currently trying to stop Lucifer and Michael from destroying the world and I don't want to drag you into it… Until I can make sure you're safe around me, it's best that you stay with my brother." I explain gently.

Jesse holds out his pinky finger, "Promise? You will come and get me when everything is safe?" A sad smile finds its way onto my features. "I have something better than a pinky promise, I swear upon the Styx, That I will bring you to live with me, the very second I can." Judging by his face he understands what a promise on the Styx means. He most likely read those Percy Jackson books. The gods were upset about how inaccurately they were portrayed. _**Pssh… They just aren't able to accept the truth!**_

How am I going to get back in contact with him? Oh! I pull out my phone. "Is that a Stark Phone?!" So I guess even kids are able to recognise Tony's technology. "Yup, I am really good friends with Tony Stark." He lights up even more, "You're friends with Iron Man?!" "Sure am! I'll introduce you one day!" I say, ruffling his hair.

"Now I want you to focus for me… Can you try and make another one of these? To duplicate it?"Jesse closes his eyes for just a second before another Stark Phone pops into existence. "Wow, that was really simple." He says in awe. "Well, you're a very powerful kid."

I take the phone and start programing numbers into it. Luca's, Dean's, Sam's, Gabe's and Mine. "Here you go! All of the phone numbers you should need are in there." I say, handing him the phone. I also discretely connected it to Tony's account. I doubt Tony is even going to notice if the kid happened to somehow spend $1,000 a month on texting and calls.

"Really?! You're giving me a cell phone?!" I nod my head at his excitement. "Go upstairs and grab what you want to take with you." Luca says. And with that comment the kid's happy mood falls apart. The slowly sulks up the stairs, this is the last time he will ever be in this house, I don't blame him for being a bit down.

Jesse comes back down stairs a couple minutes later. "Okay… I'm ready to go…" He says, so much quieter than he was a minute ago. He has a backpack over his shoulders. "Socks?" "Yes." "At least three outfits?" "Yes." "Undergarments?" "Yes." "Toothbrush?" "Yes." "Phone." "Right here." "What abou-"

"The kid has everything he needs!" Dean cuts me off from asking anymore questions. Jesse has a slightly amused smile on his face. It's not anything big, but it's something. "I just want to make sure he has everything!" I argue, starting towards the door. _**You sounded like the kid's mom.**_ _Hush you...What did you do with the demon?_ _ **It's back at the motel, in a devil's trap, I figured you would want to talk to it.**_ _Yes, I do._

We walk out of the house, Jesse right behind, I wonder how his parents are going to react when they get home and he is missing. _**They aren't… Right now, Jesse wishes that his adoptive parents don't end up hurt, physically or emotionally. They aren't going to remember that Jesse even exists.**_ _You can't miss what you never had…_

"So, where do you want to go Jesse? The Roman Colosseum? The leaning tower of Pisa? We can go absolutely anywhere… Any places you've always wanted to see?" Luca asks, rustling Jesse's hair a bit. I'm pretty sure that Jesse shocked him for touching him without permission. I'm sure they will get closer.

"Can we go to Italy?" "Sure! Any specific reasons?" "I want to try the original Pizza, before America took it and changed it." Luca looks genuinely surprised. How is it that Jesse sounds so childlike yet not at all at the same time? "Well, if you need anything just call. I can be there in a snap." I tell them. _**Did Luci teach you how to teleport as well?**_ _It's more like Shadow traveling… I can't just snap and be where I want to be._

Luca waves his hands in an overly dramatic fashion, "Do you want to do the honors, Monsieur Jesse?" Jesse closes his eyes and almost instantly, him and Luca disappear. I walk with Dean towards the Impala. Time to talk to a demon, 'cause that's always fun!


	19. Chapter 18

"So remind me why we aren't killing this thing?" Dean says, pointing to the door. On the other side of which is the Demon that possessed Jesse's biological mother. Technically it's Jesse's father. Gabe set up probably a dozen demon traps around him, He isn't getting out. _**I made sure none of the traps contain Salt or Iron…**_ _Thanks for that… Why are we talking telepathically?_

Gabe just shrugs. No one else catches the exchange. "Because… He has information I could benefit from. After I get what I need from him, I'll kill the demon." I answer, leaning up against the door. Dean nervously shifts from one foot to the other. "You're going to torture him?"

Dean has spent time in Hell… Forty years if my math is right. The fact that Lucifer is out of the cage at all tells me that he said yes. He started torturing people in Hell. That went against every fiber of his being, every righteous bone in his body. If I had to guess, every action he makes is him trying to make up for his past mistakes. No, I don't have to guess… I know I'm right, we're the same, after all.

"I'm not going to torture him, I don't have to. A little something I've learned about demons… Their pride is their weakness. I just have to encourage him to brag." I say. Dean's shoulders relax in silent relief. Sometimes it's almost impossible to read the Winchesters. They hide their emotions behind walls upon walls of emotionlessness. Other times, like right now, I can read them like a book.

Sam brings up whatever has been on his mind since we started this conversation, "And the vessel? I don't want us to kill Jesse's mother…" He asks worriedly. "If I use the right type of fire it will only hurt the demon. Jesse's mom will get, at most, a sunburn." I answer. _**Is it still called a sunburn if it isn't from the sun?**_ _I have no clue…_

I open the door and head into where we are keeping the demon. We actually just got a second joined room to their motel room. I take a seat right in front of the demon and pull the blindfold off of him/her. "Well, well, well. It's the runaway hound!" The demon sneers.

"I take it you've heard of me?" I ask, leaning back, making myself comfortable. I can hear the others shuffling behind me, silently watching. "Oh course! Everyone who's anyone knows that Lilith's hound went rogue! It's the talk of the town! Lilith couldn't control her pet."

I clench my fists at the word 'pet' but I remain calm, mostly. "Yeah, well, _she_ is dead. As you know I haven't been in Hell for awhile. Any news about who has taken her spot on the throne?" I ask. Keeping my voice conversationally.

"Father! Our father promised that the moment he has gotten revenge against his enemies he will assume his place on the throne!" The demon looks right at Sam and Dean with a grin on his/her face, "Our Father doesn't abandon us like yours does. Well, did." _**Low blow, man.**_ _Should we tell him that Lucifer hates demons? 'All they are is tainted humans.'_ _ **Would he believe you?**_

"Any other important accomplishments Hell has made lately?" I ask, basically ignoring his last comment. "Nothing you need to know… But you have made an accomplishment! Broke the record Too!" The demon announces, the smirk still in place on his face.. Her's? Which stinking pronoun do I use?! It's a male demon possessing a female woman! He? She? _**It?**_ _That's disrespectful._ _ **Right! You don't want to disrespect the demon!**_ _...Point._

"What record?" I ask, confused. "Hell's most wanted! You have more Demons after you than the Winchesters! Not only are you the most powerful Hound, everyone wants the Honor of taming the beast Lilith was unable to!" "Yeah, that's not gonna happen." I clench my fist tighter, trying to stop the flames from building any further.

"No? Well, you know us demons! We're going to try anyway! The thrill of the chase, the glory in success. None of us are going to stop trying, until you have a collar around your neck and a leash binding you to Hell…" A smirk grows across my face and I prepare my fire to burn out the demon. "Well… Good luck!" And with one swift movement the demon inside is burned to dust, leaving just Jesse's mother strapped to the chair.

[Page Break]

I stay where I am, not moving a muscle for the entire time it takes Castiel to take the woman home. Even though it was only a couple seconds, it felt like forever. I have more demons after me than almost anyone else in history. _Achievement unlocked._ _I thought Gabe got rid of you!_ _HAHAHAHAHA nope!_ _Gabe help_ … _No no no no n-_ _Thank you!_

I rub my eyes, trying to think. What do I do now? While Lilith was the only Demon out there I couldn't kill, it's going to be annoying with all of them after me now. Plus, the people around me have just become 100% more likely to be attacked by a demon. I can't go back to Malibu… Tony, Pepper and Happy will die instantly.

"Hey Candace? You gonna stick around and help us stop your Grandad from fighting with your… GrandUncle?" Dean asks, not knowing what term to use for Michael. I sigh, "Three things! One, Yes… I helped you kill _her_ , this is as much my mess as it is yours. Numero dos, I'm am not related to Michael at all, don't ask me how, but I am only biologically related to Luci. Third, Granduncle is actually the right term for that."

"So, you're hanging with us?" Sam asks. "Yup. I have a feeling I'm gonna be picking up after you boys quite a bit."

{page break}

Not too long after we leave the motel, Sam picks up on another case that Bobby told us about- a 25-year-old dying of old age. "What the hell even is this?" I start. "25 isn't old. I mean, in the middle ages- and during the Black Death- you'd be lucky to make it to 30, but in this day? You're kidding me." "I don't have much on it. Looks like we'll have to go in and find out." Sam replies. Dean drives the Impala into town, and we immediately begin researching. Missing persons cases from all around- this town and a few others.

We find this one guy named Cliff Whitlow. An old man who somehow became young again. He tells us about this odd poker game. You play for years, not money. Some people in town have won, others lost. They either get their glory days back or die of old age. Sam and I slip up from Dean. We go to the library to find anything we can, Dean visits the bars the victims did, try and find the game.

I sit down next the Sam at the library, searching through one of the books. There is a whole lot of nothing about Poker witches...who would've thought? _**This is soooo boring!**_ _You're not the one actually doing the research!_ _ **It's better than what I'm doing!**_ _What are you doing?_ _ **You forgot to tell Tony that you aren't coming back until after the Apocalypse is over...I'm listening to him yell so you don't have to later.**_ _Thank you for that…_ _ **I tuned into your thoughts to tune out the yelling, and you're doing boring research!**_

I roll my eyes at the trickster. "Found anything?" Sam asks, slamming shut another book. I take it he hasn't found a thing. "Nope, everything in here is something I already knew…" I say, closing my own book. "What did you already know?" Sam asks, catching my choice of words.

"Well, not as much as I wish I did, but a couple interesting facts. This Patrick guy, I've heard of him before. Him giving years to people caused a bit of trouble in Hell. By winning more years you also can postpone the day your demon contract expires…" I start. Mentally going over everything I know, categorizing it in order of importance.

"A lot of demons wanted to kill him until he agreed not to mess with anyone with a deal. During that time we figured out he was Immortal, and not in the same way I am. I will live forever but I can die...If that makes any sense. If I die I can will eventually climb back out of the afterlife. Patrick? He just can't die… not of old age and he can't be killed." I finish.

Sam looks at me confused. "Well then how do we stop him?" He asks. "Honestly? You don't. It's the victim's fault for betting years… They should have known when to walk away." I answer with a shrug. Sam stares at me for a moment… "That joke wasn't funny…" "It was a little bit." I argue. Sam just shakes his head, "Let's go, Dean should be getting back to the Motel soon." He says, standing up and grabbing his jacket that was previously placed on the back of his chair.

I follow Sam out the door and we walk back to the Hotel, It's not that far of a walk. "So are we just going to leave Patrick here? To kill as he sees fit?" Sam asks, stopping at a crosswalk. "Not exactly…" I respond, following behind as the light turns green. "We can't convince him to stop by force… We can try to make a deal with him…" I respond.

"How are we supposed to make a deal? What do we have on our side to offer?" Sam asks, we walk into a little fast food place, Burger King. Sam orders a couple Bacon Cheeseburgers, I guess he never got the memo about how Gabe likes to send me food. Once we are back out of the shop I answer his question, didn't need people overhearing us talking about killing someone.

"He loves to play his poker game right? So just make that one of the arrangements… He isn't allowed to take anymore years from someone than they can give." I explain, Sam takes a moment to consider… "The killings would stop and he gets to play his game… Win-Win. That could work." He says as we walk up to the Motel, The Impala's already here, I guess Dean is back.

Sam opens the door to the motel room, starting to place the drinks on the table. I plop down onto one of the beds with my cup of Coke, I'll eat my burger later. _**You mean when I pop you up one of MY burgers?**_ _Yours are the best._ _ **Nice to know why you like having me around.**_ _Your entertaining sass and delicious food!_

"Hey, Dean? You find anything?" Sam calls out. "Oh, you might say that." Comes a voice from the bathroom. Out comes a really, really old man. If I couldn't sense souls I would have assumed it wasn't Dean. Sam almost shoots him though, "Sam, that's Dean. Same soul, still smells like sweat, motor oil, blood, Burgers, Alcohol and just a hint of apple pie." I sum up.

I don't know what surprised Sam more, the fact his older brother now is his _older_ brother, or how I assured him it was Dean. "What the hell happened?" Sam asks, ultimately deciding the latter can be discussed later. "I, you know, found the game." Dean says, walking over to where Sam left the Burgers. "You- I thought you said you were good at poker." Sam brings up.

"I am... Shut up. So you were just gonna shoot some old guy? Is that it?" Dean asks, bringing up the fact Sam still hasn't put away his gun. "I didn't know what you were. Have you seen you? You look like-" "The old chick in Titanic, I know, shut up." Dean saw Titanic? I thought that would be one of those movies that he would refuse to watch since it's a chick flick.

"I was gonna say Emperor Palpatine." Sam admits, Ooh! I don't know which one is worse there! _**All that told me is that Sam is a major geek! Star Wars? Seriously?**_ _And you recognized it!_ The door to the Motel kicks open and Bobby rolls himself in… What is he doing here? The door slams behind him. "I see you met John McCain there." He says a little bitterly; something tells me that he was there to tell Dean playing poker with Patrick was a bad idea. "Man, what happened?" Sam asks.

"Bobby's an idiot, that's what happened." Dean responds.

"Hey, nobody asked you to play."

"Right, I should have just let you die."

"And for damn sure, nobody asked you to lose."

I'm not going to laugh, I'm not going to laugh, I'm not going to laugh. "It's like 'Grumpy Old Men.'" Sam chuckles. "~Shut up Sam!~" Both Bobby and Dean chorus. I am not going to laugh. "What the hell were you thinking? He's a witch. He's been playing poker since guys wore tights." Dean asks. That actually wasn't too long ago.

"You just don't get it." Bobby says, shaking his head. "Yeah, I get it, Bobby. You saw a chance to turn the hands of the clock back, get out of that chair." Dean responds. Oh, so Bobby found the game first, lost some years, so Dean played, losing even more years. The idiots.

"Pretty tempting. I can imagine." "No, you can't." "You got me. I never been paralyzed. But I'll tell you something. I've been to hell. There's an archangel there wanting me to drop the soap. Look at me. My junk's rustier than yours. You hear me bellyaching, huh?" This is kinda funny, the dumb back and forth. "Actually, Yeah." Sam comments, noticing Dean's stomach making sounds.

This is when Gabe decides to send me my Bacon Cheeseburger. I pretty much ignore them until it's gone. Nearly choking on the last bite when Dean tries to flirt with the maid. "You're just like my grandfather. He hits on anything that moves too. You're adorable." The maid says, walking in with the extra towels and toilet paper she is required to replace daily. "And Dangerous!" "Aww…" I'm not going to laugh, I'm not going to laugh…

"Don't mind him, about fifty years ago he was a real Adonis. Still hasn't gotten out of that mentality." I tell the woman as she passes. Dean sits back down and pouts. He does look adorable now. Sam and Bobby look at me oddly for my comment.

Sam and Bobby turn back and start discussing how to steal Patrick's poker chips, "You guys are idiots." I comment, taking the last few sips of my now empty cup of Coke. "The chips have nothing to do with it… It's all Patrick's power, he just uses the chips as a conductor."

They all turn to me and I toss my burger wrapper and cup into the garbage can across the room, getting it in the bin easily. "So then what do you propose we do, If you have all the answers?!" Bobby asks, I guess he is a little testy. I shrug my shoulders and lean back into the bed, "You could let me play." I answer.

The room falls silent. "NO! Absolutely not! No way in Hell!" They all shout out, in one way or another, it's all basically the same thing. "I don't see why not." I comment. "Because if you lose you could… Oh!" Sam says, realizing my train of thought. Bobby and Dean are still oblivious, "Mind sharing with the class?" Bobby asks.

I sit up, taking my feet on the bed and placing them on the floor. "I have a little something up my sleeve that you guys don't… Unlimited poker chips. I'm Immortal! I could lose a thousand chips and not age a day! Plus… I can cause hallucinations! How can I lose when Patrick will see the cards on the table as always falling in my favor?" I basically spell out. Dean blinks, then nods.

"Are you sure this is going to work? No chance of him noticing that you are Immortal and backing out?" Bobby asks, looking straight at me, trying to get a read on me. I nod, "He is just a witch, no matter how powerful he was originally human. Would you be able to tell I'm immortal if I didn't tell you?" I ask. Bobby seems to accept it, "Okay! Let's win me some years!"

[Page Break]

We find Patrick at a bar only a couple streets over from the last one. Dean walks up to him, "Patrick!" I have to admit, he's not ugly. "You again? Sorry lad, one game per customer." He says, messing with a toothpick in his mouth. "He's not the one playing." I say stepping forward.

He takes out the toothpick and places it in the garbage next to him. "You're using this beautiful young lady to do your dirty work?" He asks, looking quite disturbed and disgusted. At least he is a gentleman. "Who said they were using me? I actually want to play!"

"You're going to risk that pretty face just to play a game?" He asks, quite shocked. "To save a friend." I correct, then a little smile graces my lips, "And If I lose, well… My family has always aged rather well. I think I would be the same."

Patrick seems to accept it and leads us into a back room. I sit down across from him, Sam, Bobby and Dean gathering around to watch. Patrick pulls out his poker pieces, "You sure you want to do this?" He asks one more time. I nod my head and he pulls out twenty-five pieces. "Wait, I'm going to pull a Dean here… Make it fifty-five." "Hey, what's wrong with my ideas?" "They're usually reckless and not thought out." _**Ahem…**_ _Okay. I'm not much better._

He pulls out the chips and places them in front of me, saying the words. "Well, let's play." He says placing a new toothpick in his mouth, dealing the first hand. It would appear that we are playing Texas Hold 'em. Good, I actually know the rules to that one.

I take my two cards and Ante up. "What do you consider cheating?" I ask. Calmly seeing his raise of five. "Quite a few things… Why?" He asks, "Well, a couple of my tricks certain people like to call cheating while others do not." I say conversationally. "You're not going to tell me what those tricks are, are you?" Patrick says.

"That would be the same as saying I always start spinning the chips when I'm bluffing." I say. Patrick gets a small smirk on his face, "If I notice it and think it's cheating I'll tell you." I nod my head, with a small smile of my own. I glance down at the cards in my hand that I've already memorized anyway. A four and a Seven. There is already one four and one seven on the table. We haven't flipped that last card… Using my powers I cause everyone in this room to hallucinate- when he flips over the card they will see a Seven, giving me a full house.

"Any bets before I flip over this next card?" Partick asks. If I win, I'll get fifteen years, "I think that is enough for one round." I say, watching as he flips over the card. It's actually an eight. "A seven." Patrick announces. It would seem that he isn't able to tell I'm playing a trick on him… nor is anyone else…

Even if he is a witch now, he was originally a human. The visions a hellhound shows you before they kill you can drive anyone insane, and no one can ever tell they are being deceived. With my recent power up, changing a single card is simple. I notice the TV in the corner of this room, along with the clock announcing it's 7:58. What's-her-face has a show that starts at eight.

"Dean? Can you bring me the remote to the TV?" I ask, not really looking at him, "If you don't mind of course." I say gesturing to Patrick. "No, of course not." Dean hands me the remote, "Thanks, I like to stay somewhat up to date with some of the more outlandish rumors about me." I say, flipping the channels to that one girl's show, I completely forgot her name, she slept with Tony and I told her to call me during a press conference.

The TV flips onto the Gossip channel that she is always on. Right now they are on a commercial break. Patrick flips over his cards, revealing the other four and a King. Two pair. I lay down my cards, his face goes from a smirk to a small frown almost instantly. "It would seem that you won this round." He says. Sliding the chips over to me, "It would appear I have."

As patrick is dealing the next hand the TV ends it's commercial break and what's-her-face starts bringing up random rumors, every single one of them involving me. I nearly burst out laughing, "You know, for someone who never called me, she sure does pay a lot of attention to me." I say, looking at my new hand. A Eight and Ten of spades.

"That's you? Candace Armina, the woman living with Tony Stark?" Patrick asks with surprise. I nod my head, "Yeah, Tony was actually the one to teach me how to play Poker. Apparently there is something wrong about living with him and not knowing." I say, pushing a couple chips forward.

The game continued sorta like that for the better part of an hour. Sam made several trips to the bar to get us drinks. I would win a round or two, then purposefully lose another, I bluffed here and there, purposefully spinning a chip each time to mess with him. Eventually I win, with a grand total of 110 years to spend.

"How did you do that?" Patrick asks in shock, "I'll tell you my secret after we get all of these chips where they need to be." I answer with a wink. "Dean here gets fifty." I say pointing, and arranging all of my chips into piles. "This Fifty-five here comes back to me."

Patrick gives the years to whom I've said they should go back to. Dean gets back into 'burger shape' and I don't really change. "You got five years left there to spend… What are you going to do with them?" He asks, messing with his toothpick. I look at them for a second.

"These turn back the clock by exactly one year, right?" I ask, Patrick nods his head. "Does that include injuries?" He nods once again. I pick up two chips, "These two go to Bobby." I say, the face he makes is absolutely worth it! It's this odd mix of shock and happiness. Patrick activates the chips and I pay special attention to the words he says. Bobby hesitantly tried to move his legs, looking absolutely astonished when they move at his command.

"And those last three?" "Hmm… not sure yet. Can I save them for another time?" Patrick looks absolutely shocked, "I've never had someone suggest that… I'm sure it's possible, if you can remember the words…" "Da huic retro annis." I say simply. "Looks like you've got that. There's the last three years." Patrick says, I pick up the chips/Years and put them into my pocket.

"Are you going to tell me how you beat me?" He asks, as I start getting up from my seat. "I dunno… Should I tell you? A girl has to have her mysteries." I say, with a smirk on my face. "You said tricks, right? Plural? So just tell me one!" Patrick almost begs.

I guess that is okay, "The reason I beat you when normally you decide whether your opponents get years or not is because I have something that none of your opponents ever have… Nothing to lose." I respond. "Even if I had lost this game, I wouldn't have aged a day, I'm just as immortal as you are but a whole lot less witchy." I answer.

Realization crawls across his face, "How did I not see it? 'My family has always aged rather well. I think I would be the same'. You practically told me to begin with!" He says to himself. "This was fun. See you around." I say before walking out. The rest of the gang follow. Now they will deny it, but I swear, Dean and Bobby skipped all the way back to the Motel.


	20. Chapter 19

Sam, Dean and I watch as Bobby happily gets into his truck and drives off. How did he drive here to begin with? Whatever, I'll let Bobby keep his secrets. I follow the boys back inside the motel room. "Let's get some shut eye, will try to find another hunt tomorrow." Dean announces, plopping onto one of the beds.

I lounge on the couch, closing my eyes. I'll sleep here I guess. I'll steal one of the beds tomorrow night, kicking them onto the couch. As soon as the thought can pass through me head a snap echoes throughout the room. _What did you do this time?_ _ **Open your eyes. It's not bad, I promise.**_ _I don't really trust your definition of 'bad'._

I don't know what I was expecting when I opened my eyes, The boys somehow pranked? Their hair hot pink? A bunch of ferrets in the motel room? An ostrich trying to eat Sam's hair? _**Thanks for the ideas!**_ I was not, however, expected there to be almost no change to the room whatsoever. The only thing that is different is that now, instead of two queen sized beds and a couch, There is one king and the couch I'm laying on has turned into a mattress that almost seems sized to perfectly fit me.

I look at the boys who have now ended up having to share a bed. Their reactions are kinda funny. The mixed look of horror and absolute refusal. Dean then turns to me, "Get your boyfriend to bring back the beds!" Dean shouts. I roll my eyes, "I'm not dating anyone." I mutter before speaking up a bit, "What makes you think the Gabriel listens to me?" I ask.

I happily snuggle into the bed and supersoft blankets Gabe popped up for me. "I don't know? Maybe the fact I haven't seen him prank you _once_?" Sam points out, just as pissed as his brother. _Why did you take their beds and replace it with just one?_ _ **If they aren't respectful enough to even offer you a bed and make you sleep on the uncomfortable couch, then they shouldn't be comfortable either.**_

While I hate to admit it, I agree with his logic. _Try telling it to them._ _ **Nope! They're like dogs! Punish them when they do something wrong, They'll figure it out eventually!**_ _Remind me to never let you have a dog._ _ **I don't need one! I have you!**_ _I am not okay with that statement for a number of reasons._

"He's not giving you back your bed, sorry. You'll just have to suck it up and sleep next to each other." I say, almost grinning at the look of absolute horror on their faces. Eventually they do, suck it up and go to sleep.

[Page Break]

Then next morning I'm the first one to wake up. I decide to take a quick shower. When I get back out Sam has already woken up and the bed I slept has turned back into the old, torn up sofa. "Morning, Sam." I say, plopping down on the couch. He nods his head, barely paying attention as he continues to look at whatever it is he is researching on his laptop.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence he asks whatever it is that is on his mind. "You said… When you told Dean about the demon blood and how your blood could overpower it… How did you know that?" Sam asks, closing his laptop and turning to face me, resting with his elbows on his knees.

So that's what has been on his mind. "You aren't the first one to get addicted to demon blood. I don't know much, but I do know that cold turkey, will kill the addict. I also know that I am stronger than most demons anyway. It would only make sense that my blood would be as well." I answer, trying to explain as simply as possible.

"How long does it take to wean someone off of the blood?" He asks, worried. "It depends on the person… How much have you been drinking?" I respond. He looks down, almost ashamed. "At first.. It was a pint every couple of days, then a pint a week. Now it's half a pint a week." He answers. I do some mental math real quick. "So you only have a pint left?" I ask. "Half." He corrects.

It lasted longer than I expected it to, that's something. _**You're going to drain yourself dry- again- aren't you?**_ "You should probably restock shouldn't you?" Sam looks up in shock. _Only three pints this time._ _**You're kidding me.**_ _Nope. You mind popping up the empty blood bags and needle?_ _ **I will not!**_ _Gabriel… Three more and he'll be clean. Three more and I'm done._

I don't get a response, only after a couple moments the three bags and needle show up on the table. I hand Sam the bags and one of my arms. He moves over to the couch and very hesitantly gets to work. "I still don't understand why you're helping _me._ " Sam mutters. Lowering his voice significantly when Dean rolls over in bed, but not fully waking up. "You're worth saving." I say. Sam nods his head, "Sure, whatever, if you believe that. But am I worth risking _your_ life over? Am I worth risking Tartarus, or Niflheim, or Purgatory?" He asks.

I think about my answer, "Honestly? Yes. Because it wasn't your fault to begin with… It was mine. Everything, absolutely everything that is happening around here, can be traced back to me. Traced back to one mistake that I made… Saying okay to Lilith. Me not being strong enough to refuse… All of this could have been avoided if I never dragged Dean into Hell." I say.

"If Dean never went to Hell then the first seal would have never broken. If the first seal had never broken then the Apocalypse wouldn't be on it's way. If Dean never went to Hell, you never would have been pushed into drinking demon blood. Everything that has happened has been a direct result of me dragging Dean into Hell. All of it… Is my fault." I say. My voice doesn't contain any whine or complain to it. I'm just stating the facts.

Sam starts filling up the second bag of blood. "You shouldn't blame yourself for something you were forced to do… Dean sold his soul for me, that makes this my fault." Sam argues. I roll my eyes, "Dean wouldn't have had to sell his soul to save you if Azazel hadn't created the deathmatch between all of the powered kids." I point out.

We both go quiet for a second, long enough for the second bag to get filled up. "... Can we just leave the blame there? Pin this whole mess on Azazel?" I ask, after a minute of considering. "It's better than blaming ourselves in this endless circle of guilt." Sam agrees.

"I mean, this isn't a complete cop out, we all have all made mistakes…" I start. "..But destroying the world? That's on Azazel!" Sam finishes. I'm not saying that I did nothing wrong, I did. I have things I need to redeem myself for, But it's not _all_ my fault. I still brought Dean down to Hell, I still hurt people, but _that_ is what I need to make up for, not starting the Apocalypse.

Sam finishes filling up the third bag and puts them all into the cooler. He has three and a half pints left now. At his current rate he shouldn't even need all of them, only half. _**Then why did you fill up three?!**_ _Precaution._

I try to stand up, forgetting the dizziness that comes with bloodloss. If Sam hadn't caught me, I would have gone straight to the ground. "Woah! You okay?" He asks, making me sit back down on the couch. "I'm fine. Just a little lightheaded and dizzy. It'll pass in a couple hours." I wave off.

Sam looked like he was about to argue when his phone went off. He checks is quickly and his entire face depletes of color. He doesn't waste another second before diving to wake up Dean. "DEAN!" Dean rolls over, not seeing any reason to get up at the moment. "Chuck sent an SOS."

Never, in my millennia on this earth, have I seen a man go from 'Let me sleep' to 'Holy shit! We gotta move!' so quickly. The guys don't start explaining until we are going 90 down the interstate. "Chuck is a prophet, but he is focused mostly on our lives. Before we told him this was all real, he turned his 'dreams' into books." Sam explains quickly.

So, a prophet is sending an SOS… That can't be good. Although I am curious, where would I find one of these books? I don't know any more about the Winchesters than what they have told me, this would be an easy way to learn more about them without making them go into what Dean considers a 'chick flick' moment.

I, from the back seat as always, place my phone on the dash. "JARVIS, you know the drill. Fastest course, using any shortcuts you can find." I tell the AI. In about two seconds he pulls up the fastest path. "Using these shortcuts It will take you Twenty-Seven hours to reach your destination." JARVIS replies. Wow, we're on the opposite side of the country aren't we?

Judging from the chatty looks on Sam and Dean's faces I am going to assume they aren't going to be very talkative. _Gabriel? You there?_ _ **Always.**_ _Can you get me the first one of these books they are talking about?_ _ **You want me to give you the means of stalking their lives?**_ _...Yes._

The first three books silently appear in the seat beside me. I pick up the first one and start reading, feeling like an absolute stalker.

[Page Break]

The Twenty-Seven hours go by quickly enough. The boys would switch out at the wheel every couple of hours, I took a good six hour nap at one point. Throughout the entire ride, Neither of the boys realized I was reading Supernatural books.

I have a couple opinions here and there, none that I would ever admit out loud. John Winchester was a jerk. Dean is a hypocrite for saying 'What's dead should stay dead'. Missouri was cool, why didn't they ever talk to her again? _I guess I know why they don't like you very much…_ _ **But you have to admit! From an outside point of view it's quite funny!**_ _No!…Yes._

The Dean barely slows down as we pull into the parking lot of wherever we are. All within a grand total of five seconds we are out of the car and running past twenty other Impalas. "Where the hell did they find all these Impalas? They're so rare!" I question aloud, jogging next to the boys. It's almost comical how easy it is for me to keep up with them.

I follow the boys as they run up to his man. He has brown hair and a beard. "Chuck!" Dean shouts, oh so this is the prophet. Chuck looks absolutely confused, "Guys?" "What's going on?" Sam demands. "Uh Nothing. You know, just I'm just kind of hanging. What are you guys doing here?" The prophet responds nervously. It's almost like he doesn't want the boys to know what is going on here.

"You told us to come." Dean reminds. "Uh No, I didn't." Chuck says, hopelessly confused. I step forward, "Obviously there has been some sort of misunderstanding… Why would Sam have received an SOS from you if there isn't anything here we need to be concerned with?" I ask.

Chuck seems to pale at my words, "Oh no." I don't even get to ask what the problem is before a very high pitched yell pierces through the air. "SAM!" Sam's face pales considerably when a young blond woman runs up to him. From the brief read I get from her soul and what I remember from the books I just read, She is a fangirl who is very likely to sell her soul for a love potion if she gets the chance.

"Hey Becky…" Sam says very awkwardly. "You remembered! You've been thinking about me. It's okay. I can't get you out of my head, either." _**And the crazy of the year award goes to...!**_ "Did you take my phone?" Chuck asks. "I just borrowed it from your pants." _Yeah, definitely crazy._

"Becky-" "What? They're gonna wanna see it!" Becky defends. _You can smell the crazy on her._ "See what?" I ask, stepping forward. "OH MY GOD! You must be Candace!" Becky says, getting all up in my face. _I don't even show up in the narrative from what I've read. Don't tell me there's books about me._ _ **I could, but I'd be lying.**_ _Oh hell…_

I turn to glare at Chuck, "You've written books about me?!" I ask, well, more like growl. He chuckles nervously. "It's a spin off series… Starting from where I stopped publishing Supernatural I started putting out books called Rogue Hound… It's the rest of the story from the POV of a Hellhound…"

I take a deep breath to keep myself calm, "I'm not upset about the fact that the books are out there… I think it's fine, no one is going to believe them anyway… I'm upset you didn't ask." I tell Chuck. I take a few more deep breaths. "How much has been written so far?" I ask.

"Uh… Published, I have up until you are on your way to playing a Poker game with Patrick. Written… I only have bits and pieces, here and there. Like, In a few months, when you go back to Malibu… There is something you should know-" Chuck starts explaining the future to me.

"Save it! I don't want to know! The more I know, the more I'm gonna want to change it. Besides! How many times do I have to tell people? Free Will! We can make our own choices, and shape our own futures. I could do something completely different and whatever you've already written won't come to pass." I start to explain.

Chuck looks at me in shock, "You really think that you can decide what to do? Like for instance, Sam and Dean aren't going to say yes, even though it is foretold?" He asks, almost like he is trying to push me towards a certain conclusion.

"This is going to sound bizarre from Lucifer's granddaughter but, If God didn't want us to make our own choices, he wouldn't have given us free will to begin with!" I say, giving my own little speech. A small smile spreads itself across Chuck's face. "..Oh, the irony." He mutters.

Becky lays a hand on my shoulder, "Well, just in case you do make the choices that lead to that future… If you are ever hiding in the middle of a forest, crying of a broken heart, asking yourself what you did wrong, know that it will get better!"

Sam, Dean, Chuck and I all get the same look on our faces. "I definitely didn't want to know that future!" I exclaim. A random man comes out and tells Chuck it's 'time'. "Guys, I'm sorry for everything." Chuck says to us before heading inside. We nervously follow.

Within two seconds of entering I understand why he apologised. It's a Supernatural/Rogue Hound convention. There are people dressed like Sam and Dean, the hookman. Even me! One of the girls dressed as me comes up to me. "Wow! That's a really great costume! You got almost everything right! The black jeans, black and red leather jacket, you even paid attention to the fact Candace never wears makeup and only a single silver necklace Tony bought her! But, Candace's eyes glow a blood red, those contacts are just a soft maroon." And with that, 'I' walk away.

I clench my fist and make my eyes flare up at her retreating form, she is lucky I didn't scorch her! I watch as she walks up to this blond woman with white contacts and starts making out with her. I'm going to hurl. "I-Is that supposed to be… Me and L-lilith?!" I ask, my voice shaking. Becky pops up, "The ship name is Calith! The other ships involving you are Iron Hound, Rogue Angel, Deance and Cam!"

"I don't care about the others! Me and _her_?! I was the one that told Sam to kill her! Why would _Calith_ … Bleh… Ever happen?!" I ask, nearly shouting. Dean lays a hand on my shoulder, "It's better than…" Dean looks like he is about to hurl as he tries to get out this word, "Wincest…" He ends up just whispering. "Becky please don't tell me that's Sam and Dean, together…" "It is." She admits. _**That's honestly the worst one yet.**_ _I might puke. Or torch everything. Help._ _ **I can't just zap you out of there!**_ _You're a fuckin archangel. Think of something!_

Against every bone in my body, I keep looking around the room. There are a million Sam and Deans, two million people dressed up as me. I can actually see all of the couples and different ships Becky mentioned around the room. Over there is Sam and I. There is Dean and I. There is Tony and I… And over there is Gabriel and I. _No._

I feel another hand lay itself on my shoulder, "Aww...But I think we would make a cute couple! Okay! Eliminate Tony, cause that one is obvious, out of those three, which one is your favorite?" A mocking, sarcastic voice says from beside me. "Gabriel, what are you doing here?" I sigh.

"Joining in on the fun! Also, just wanted to tell you, they're having a karaoke event in half an hour. I think they've got your theme song!" Gabe tells me. "No way in Hell." I respond flatly. Gabriel puts on a frown of mock hurt. "And after I went through the trouble of eliminating the ghosts that were in this building so you could have fun!" He pouts.

I roll my eyes, glancing momentarily to where the real Sam and Dean are situated at the bar, each grabbing themselves a couple drinks. At least they know that their favorite drinks are definitely going to be here, along with the pie stand over there. "If you can convince Sam and Dean to _willingly_ sing a song, without the use of blackmail or threats of any kind. I will join you for the karaoke event." I say with a smirk. _**Challenge accepted.**_ _Good luck._

I take a seat at the bar as well. Within two seconds of sitting down, a guy dressed like Tony comes up and hands me a Mai Tai. "How many girls have you given a Mai Tai today?" I say dryly. "Believe it or not, you're the first." "You gonna sing at the karaoke?" I ask. "Nah, I thought I'd just watch. How about you?" He says smoothly, leaning up against the counter.

"A friend said he would save me a spot in line. Still not sure what song to sing." I honestly don't know what song to sing. I like a lot of classic rock, pop, pop punk, there's too much to choose from. 'Tony's' voice breaks through my thoughts. "I don't think anyone's sung Light 'Em Up by Fall Out Boy. You could be the first." Hmm… "I suppose I could sing it. Thanks for the suggestion." I smile.

Showtime.

There's a big stage on the other side of the massive room, with a few people queuing up for karaoke. I make my way over when Gabe stops me. "I've already signed you up! Your theme song, too!" I raise an eyebrow at him, "Were you able to convince Sam and Dean to sing as well?" I ask.

That is when the two mentioned show up at my side as well. "Yup, I'm singing Highway to Hell and Sammy's singing Wanted Dead or Alive. I mean, Bon Jovi is good- on occasion. This is one such occasion." I glance at Gabe when he speaks up, "And I'm singing Heat of the Moment!" Sam's face just drops like a stone. "Aw come on."

Dean goes first, he is actually an amazing singer, about half of the girls in here start crowding him as he gets off the stage. Then Sam, who isn't the best but not the worst either. When Gabe gets on stage and the music starts playing half of the 'Sams' in the room start protesting. To mess with the real Sam, Gabe sings super obnoxiously… Now it's my turn.

I very slowly and hesitantly walk up to the stage, eventually Gabriel grabs my hand and drags me the rest of the way up. The first few notes of the song play, and immediately everyone starts cheering. I take a few deep breaths and start singing.

 **Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.  
Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.**

 **B-B-B-Be careful making wishes in the dark, dark  
Can't be sure when they've hit their mark  
And besides in the mean, mean time  
I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart**

The crowd goes quiet for a second, driving me nuts, before their cheers become even louder than before. For extra fun- mostly to mess with them- I let my eyes flash blood-red.

 **I'm in the de-details with the devil  
So now the world can never get me on my level  
I just gotta get you off the cage  
I'm a young lover's rage  
Gonna need a spark to ignite.**

 **My songs know what you did in the dark!**

 **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
I'm on fire!**

 **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
I'm on fire!**

I create small little flames around me as I sing this verse. Just enough so that it will be easy for them to assume I just used small bits of flash paper.

 **Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.  
In the dark, dark  
Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.  
In the dark, dark**

 **All the writers keep writing what they write  
Somewhere another pretty vein just dies  
I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see  
That you're the antidote to everything except for me, me**

 **A constellation of tears on your lashes  
Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes  
In the end everything collides  
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see.**

 **My songs know what you did in the dark!**

 **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
I'm on fire!**

 **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
I'm on fire!**

 **Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.  
In the dark, dark  
Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.  
In the dark, dark**

 **My songs know what you did in the dark**

 **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
I'm on fire!**

 **So light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
Light 'em up, up, up  
I'm on fire!**

 **Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.  
In the dark, dark  
Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.  
In the dark, dark**

 **Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.**

The crowd just goes nuts. There's so much cheering and whistling, I feel like I'm gonna go deaf. Gabe helps me off the stage, and Sam and Dean give me high-fives. "Nicely done." "Ok, I need a drink. This is insane. Really fun, but insane."

I sit down at the bar, random guys giving me more Mai Tais. How many of these are spiked? It's probably a good thing Hellhounds are immune to human drugs. I can still get drunk though, after what seems like a million shots. Sam, Dean and Gabriel all sit around me. "Why didn't you tell me you could sing?" Dean asks, patting me on the back.

I shrug, "Because _I_ didn't know I could sing." I answer, finishing my first drink and getting another. "Anyone want pie?" I ask. Dean stands up and runs toward the pie stand. "I'll take that as a yes."

The next several hours pass by fairly quickly. I must say I had more fun than I expected myself to. We did a lot of various things, talking with other cosplayers, stopping at the merch booths, we even joined in on the LARPing. We won, of course. Gabriel insisted on buying each of us a miniature action figure of ourselves… None of us could have stopped him but we are all going to regret it later.

Eventually we decide to go home, happy, slightly drunk and full of pie. Sam get's pulled aside by Becky, Dean and I decide to wait in the car while they sort that out. After another ten minutes he nearly runs into the car. "I know where the Colt is!" He announces.

I remember that part from the books, Crowley, or as I like to call him, Fergus has it. Dean seems very interested, "Then let's go get it. We find it, then we send a bullet through Lucifer's skull." He says, starting the car. "You guys are idiots." I say, leaning into the back seat of the Impala, which is very quickly becoming 'My spot'.

"Caring is sharing!" Dean says after I keep quiet. I roll my eyes, "That gun can kill almost anything, Yes. I got sent down by that thing once. But there are three things it can't. One of them being Archangels." I say, like it's obvious. Sam and Dean's shoulders slump slightly, I must have ruined their plan or something. Sam shakes his head, "We still shouldn't leave it with a Demon anyway." He argues. I guess that is a fair point.

"Well, I would appreciate it if you dropped me off at a motel when you go and get it." I say. "Why?" "Crowley is the King of the Crossroads. I'm more powerful than him, yes, but being within the same town as him would be like sending up a flare. We don't need Demons sniffing our butts while we try to stop the end of the world." I say, the guys nod. Satisfied with their response, I allow myself to fall asleep in the back seat, welcoming the soft fuzzy blanket Gabriel pops up for me.


	21. Chapter 20

**And this is why you should never let my co-writer and I write at 4 AM** The next day, the boys go after Fergus. I stay home- well, 'home' meaning our motel room. I can't remember the last time I had my own place. Tony's mansion doesn't count. Maybe I can't remember because I never had one.

"Well, that's a depressing thought." Gabe says. "Dude, can you give a moment's notice when you decide to pop in? You scared me." I mutter. "Anyway, since you're under self-imposed house arrest, I thought I'd keep you company!" Oh, hell. "Don't be like that, hell puppy! This'll be fun! What movie do you want to watch? I have literally every movie ever."

I give it a bit of thought, before smirking, "Princess Bride?" Gabriel glances at me, turns the TV on, then he disappears. "I thought you'd like that!" I yell. A few minutes later, he comes back with every movie theater-sized candy ever, popcorn, and soda. "Aw, yes!"

We both sit next to each other on the king sized bed. Gabe having earlier replaced the two queens. I go straight for the gummy bears and popcorn, while Gabe goes for the salt and vinegar pringles. Within the first five minutes, the grandfather hasn't even started reading the book yet, the entire top of the blanket we have is covered in crumbs. "Dude! Stop getting crumbs all over my bed!" I demand, trying to brush most of them off.

Gabe then proceeds to take a single pringle and crunch it in his hand, staring right at me with a smirk on his face. He then drops all of the crumbs on the bed. I just sit there, gaping like a fish at him, "I don't know what is worse… The crumbs, or the fact you just wasted a pringle…" I say, trying to wipe away as many crumbs as possible.

Gabe chuckles at me before snapping away all of the stupid crumbs, proceeding to create more. The movie plays and despite the fact this is the greatest movie of all time, I can spot several mistakes that were made. "Just shut up and enjoy the movie." Gabe grumbles, nudging me with his elbow. "But I didn't say anything!" I respond, nudging him right back.

After another half hour of silently watching the movie I start to get bored. "Truth or Dare?" Gabriel asks suddenly. "What?" "You're bored so… Truth or Dare?" He asks with a grin, snapping away all of the crumbs and moving all of the food to the table.

I just stare at him for a moment. "Of all of the ridiculously childish and stupid ideas you have had, this is by far the most juvenile…" I proclaim. Gabe just moves to sit cross legged beside me and turns to face me with a stupid grin on his face. A second passes, two, three, "...Truth."

Gabe pouts. "To make sure that you don't decide to say Truth every time you have to chose the opposite each time." Gabe announces. I nod, that's fair. "And the penalty for refusing a dare?" I ask, also sitting crisscross, facing him. He pops up a bottle of vodka. A shot of disgusting, cheap alcohol? Doable. "You have to chug the whole thing." Gabriel says.

I shiver runs up my spine and I almost throw up at the thought. "So it's a good thing it's almost impossible for either of us to get drunk…" I trail off, knowing that we are probably going to be drinking a lot of alcohol regardless. "We each would have to drink an entire liquor store to get tipsy." Gabe says, like it's a tragic thing. Or we could raid Tony's cabinet. Gabe shrugs, "That would work too."

"Ok, I said truth. What do you have for me?" I start. "I guess we can start this off simple, then get into some of the more embarrassing questions… Sam or Dean?" Gabe asks with a smirk. How is this starting out simple?! "Let me rephrase that, if you could, without worry… Which one would you sleep with?"

I just sit there with my mouth open for a moment, why did I think this was a good idea? I think about the question for a minute. 'Without worry' implies nothing will become awkward afterward. "Why the hell did you ask that of all the possible things?" "It'd be interesting to see your reaction!" "For fuck's sake. Ok, I'd probably pick Dean." Gabe smiles, but my glare cuts him off. "Do not tell him I said that." Gabe holds up his hand in a 'don't kill me' way. "Everything that happens tonight stays between us."

I nod, accepting it. "Your turn." I say pointing at him with a gummy worm. Gabe smirks, "Do you even have to ask? I'm starting with Dare… Give me your best shot." I get a small little smirk of my own, I just realized this game can go both ways. "Oh, I've got a good one. I dare you to eat the hottest chili pepper in existence." His face falls. "What the-" "Just fucking do it."

Gabriel snaps the pepper into his hands, a Carolina Reaper. There have actually been humans to die from eating this pepper. Gabriel glares at me for just a second before putting the entire thing in his mouth, throwing away the stem. His eyes immediately start to water and by the time he chews and swallows the thing he is full out crying.

He spends the next couple minutes coughing. Taking pity, I hand him a water bottle, which he chugs almost instantly. Little does he know it's really filled with tequila. Once that thought passes through my head he stops drinking. "You…" He wheezes, "Are evil!" I give him my best innocent puppy dog look.

"It doesn't matter… It's my turn to give you a dare." Gabe says, gaining his smirk back. "Oh, hell… Ok, fine. What's my dare?" I ask resignedly. "I dare you to eat as many gummy bears as you can tolerate." Of course, there's a catch. "You have to eat a minimum of two bags."

I narrow my eyes at him for a moment, Gabe snaps up a bunch of gummy bears. I pick up one of the white ones, dreading the reason behind his smirk. I chew and swallow it, almost puking the entire time. It taste like spoiled milk. I gag and cry my way through two and a half boxes of these horrible tasting gelatin bears- All of them tasting horrible. Rotten eggs, rotten fish, dirt, barf, lawn clippings, moldy cheese. They are all absolutely disgusting, and for some reason, more than half of them taste like dog food.

"You happy?" I ask, shoving the rest of them away from me. "I would rather have chugged the vodka." You motherfucker. "Ok, your turn for a truth. What's the story behind Loki's eight legged horse?" I ask, just to satisfy my curiosity. "You literally could have asked any other question, and THAT is what you want to know? Ugh. Ok, I shall tell you… Boredom."

Really? Really?! _That_ is the answer I get? "Yup! Now my turn to ask you a question!"

Oh no. "I'm not drunk enough for this. Give me some absinthe." One snap later, I'm holding a bottle of the 'green elixir'. Gabriel's face turns a lot more serious than I expected it to be while playing _this_ game. "What about Tony made you fall for him?" He asks. Now that I was not expecting… I was expecting something that would embarrass me for life, not this somewhat serious question.

"Uh… I- I actually don't know. I guess being stuck in a cave for several months with a somewhat attractive guy makes you notice him and his personality traits… Man, there's so much to fall in love with. What, the hair, the eyes, that top-notch brain, great sense of humor, guy who has everything… It's like he brings out a different side of me." Gabriel seems to deflate at my answer. Maybe I was just imagining it, though. "Oh." Time to take a shot… "Well, it's your turn for a dare. I dare you to…"

Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a suitable Dare for Gabe/Loki? It's like he was born or created or whatever, without the ability to get embarrassed! Almost every thought that pops into my head, he would do without complaint and a smirk on his face. If I can't find a way to embarrass him, like this game is intended to do, I'll just have to settle for making him do random shit that makes me laugh.

What would embarrass Gabe? Vs. What could Gabriel do that would make me laugh? One of them is significantly easier to think up than the other. I raise an eyebrow as an Idea hits me, "Can you dance?"

[Page Break]

Dean's POV:

Sam and I walk through the door of the motel, the colt in my bag. We are immediately greeted with the smell of Alcohol and Popcorn. Gabriel and Candace were having some sort of dance party. Complete with a disco ball and upbeat music. Both of their faces are covered in messy doodles. "Saaaam! Deeeeaaaan! You're back!" Candace slurs, very, very drunk. How the hell is that possible? She throws her arms out wide, like she is trying to give us a hug before pointing at Gabriel… Who is dancing with an Ostrich?

"Do it!" She demands. Gabriel, who is just as drunk, stumbles over to Sam and pulls him into a kiss. "What the Hell is going on?!" Sam asks, immediately pulling away. "Lighten up Samallama! Just having a little fun!" Gabriel says, stumbling back over to dance with his 'date'.

"No, seriously? What happened here?" I ask, pointing at the junk food, empty liquor bottles and the Ostrich. Candace goes into a giggle fit. "We were bored! You took too long… Wish you coulda been here for the Truth or Dare!" She announcing, giggling uncontrollably.

Two _immortals_ played Truth or Dare? "Nah! It started as Truth or Dare…" Gabriel corrects, his voice slurred as he collapses onto the bed. "...But then you dared me to drink half of the liquor in the state. I dared you to drink the other half… It just became a game of Dare or Dare after that…" Gabriel trails off.

Sam, you still looks disgusted, "And what did some of these Dares include?" He asks, hesitantly. "Uh… I dared Gabe to kiss Sam." She says, still giggling and dancing. I pull her over and sit her down before she runs into a wall. "We got that… Any others?" Sam pushes.

"We dropped water balloons off of the Eiffel tower…"

"I jumped out of the president's closet…"

"We painted the Pyramids rainbow colors…"

"Chased the animals at the Bronx Zoo…"

"Stole an ostrich from the Bronx Zoo…"

"Gabe gave Lady liberty a sex change…"

"Candace torched half of Yellowstone- not like there was much to burn…"

"Swam in Michael Phelps' pool…"

"Skinny dipped in Michael Phelps' hot tub…"

With each slurred and drunken sentence Sam and I drop our jaws just a little bit further. I can't tell if their night was crazy, terrible or completely awesome. Sam clears his throat, "Okay, first thing… Fix all of the damage you caused." Gabriel grumbles before snapping his fingers, and the Ostrich disappears.

"Second thing… Get in the car, we're keeping an eye on you two until the Alcohol can get out of your system. We don't need you deciding to actually make the moon out of cheese." Sam says, pulling Gabriel to his feet. I do the same for Candace. "Great idea Sam-I-Am!" Gabriel says, moving his fingers to snap, but Sam stops him.

We get the two drunken knuckleheads into the back seat of the Impala. "Now you two get some rest! Try and sleep off that nasty hangover you're bound to have…" I trail off, helping Sammy grab Candace's stuff from the room. "How much do you think they drank?" Sammy asks me, placing a couple of the bags in the trunk.

"I don't know… A lot for sure. Cas had to drink an entire Liquor store to get drunk… How much does an _Arch_ angel/ Norse God have to drink to get that drunk? And Candace is a Hellhound, her super system should filter out the alcohol just as quickly as she can drink it?" "Man, I dunno! I'm not an expert on hellhound biology!"

I get into the driver's seat, glancing through the rearview mirror at the two idiots in the back seat. They've both passed out, Good. Although, they way they fell asleep makes me turn around to see properly. In their sleep, they practically wrapped around each other… Candace's head on Gabriel's chest and his arms wrapped around her.

"They're cute together… Aren't they?" Sam, who I didn't even realize had gotten in the car, asks. I nod my head, "Yeah… let me get this straight, Gabriel is in love with Candace, Candace is in love with Tony Stark…" I start. Sam easily pick up where I left off, "And Tony Stark is a player that can't settle down or keep it in his pants." "Yep."

"I pity both of them. One or the other is gonna get their heart broken." I think about that sentence for a second, "...When did our life include some sappy, cliche, stupid supernatural love triangle?" I ask, starting the car. Sammy just chuckles at me, "When our life started including supernatural beings and Tony Stark."

I send a glare over to my little brother before returning my eyes to the road. Silence befalls the car for another couple minutes, "Who are you betting on? My money's on Tony." I speak up. Sam just stares at me for a second, "Really dude? Really? You want to bet on Candace's love life?" Sam asks.

"Come on, Sammy! What do you think is going to happen? Twenty bucks says she ends up with Tony." I push. Sam shakes his head, "I'm not going to have this conversation… And there is no way it's going to be Tony!" Sam says. "Is that twenty I hear on Gabriel?" I ask, nudging him with my arm. "Fine! Fine, I bet twenty dollars that she ends up with Gabriel." He gives in. Silence fills the car…

"She is going to kill us when she finds out about this…" Probably.


	22. Chapter 21

Candace's POV:

I wake up in a somewhat lumpy bed with a pounding headache. I roll over and sit up, wincing at the bright light shining through the curtains of this crappy hotel room. Dean is on the couch, cleaning on of his pistols and Sam in at the table on his laptop. "Can someone please close those dumb blinds?" I groan, rolling back over and shoving my face into the pillow.

I hear a chuckle and the blinds being pulled shut. "Thank you!" I scream into my pillow, hoping my muffled voice will reach them. "You're welcome. You mind telling us a bit more about what happened last night? Now that you're sober?" Dean asks. I roll over once again, ending up starfished on my back.

"The last thing I remember is watching Princess Bride with Gabriel, Then I woke up with a pounding headache…" I say, pushing through the dizziness and sitting up. Sam chuckles, "Well, when we came home you and Gabriel were extremely drunk and having a disco dance party with an Ostrich. You then proceeded to tell us about all of your adventures over the course of the night… Apparently you played a game of Dare or Dare with a trickster." Sam explains, laughing through whatever he remembers.

How was I _that_ dumb? I'm actually kind of glad I don't remember any of it. "Where is Gabe anyway?" I ask. Dean just points to the other queen sized bed, where the Archangel is currently half hanging off the bed. "Oh my god… How much did we drink?" I ask myself. "I seem to recall you both telling us that you drank all the liquor in the state. Half for each of you." Sam retorts dryly. "Fuck… Wow, that must've been fun." "You looked like you were having fun. The ostrich didn't think so."

Ostrich? Ok, I was totally hammered last night. "The ostrich got returned to its home, right?" I'm concerned for it's safety. "Yeah, I made sure Gabe returned him to the Bronx zoo." Let's review- Princess Bride, Dare or Dare, All the liquor in the state, ostrich from the Bronx, Disco dance party. What were the boys doing again? I haven't got a fucking clue. I mean, I probably remember it, but I don't remember it off the top of my head. "We went to get the Colt from Crowley." Oh fuck. "Yes, you were thinking aloud."

 _Yeah, you had fun. You simply remember nothing. I remember everything, and I can tell you that you are better off in blissful ignorance._ _For once I'm gonna take your word for it._ _Wise decision. Ooh, I wonder if Gabriel is awake!_ _Don't bother him, don't you dare…_ _ **Too late. Fuck, what happened last night?**_ _Daisie says that it's better we don't remember. I think we should listen to her._ _ **Daisie?**_ _The other voice in my head. You know, the one who's always yelling at me for being a stupid idiot?_ _ **Oh. Her.**_ _I can hear you, you know!_ _Don't bother getting rid of her, she's just gonna come back. Besides, I like the sound of her voice._ _Aww, I'm glad you think so!_ _**I'm gonna officially wake up, now. Pretty sure you're losing it.**_

I shake my head, accepting the antacid tabs and water from Dean. "Did you succeed?" "Yes, we did. Crowley also asked us to keep an eye out for a rogue hellhound. I don't suppose you'd know anything about that?" He responds. "Oh COME ON. I leave hell for a few months, _she_ fucking DIES, and all that every demon wants to know is 'Where's the hellhound, I wanna tame the hellhound' I DON'T WANT TO WORK WITH ANY HELLSPAWN. Ow." I wince. The yelling really hurt my head. "I'm not sure I ever wanna drink that much again. I mean, a shot of vodka or absinthe or a Mai Tai ever so often, that's ok, but I absolutely refuse to drink copious amounts of alcohol again. I dearly hope Gabriel is listening, because I am only gonna say it once."

"Loud and clear, hell puppy." He mutters. "I'm so done with this." "I know the feeling. That's a sign of a hangover- never wanting to drink again." "Doesn't last." Gabe rolls off of the mattress he was sleeping on before tapping me on the forehead. Instantly my hangover symptoms disappear. "Why didn't I just do that earlier?" Gabe mutters to himself, most likely removing his own Hangover.

Sam clears his throat, "Anyway! Crowley also gave us where the devil is going to be later this week… He gave us the Colt and in return, we kill the devil with it." Sam explains. Pointing to the gun and its ammunition that's laying beside him on the table. I walk up to the gun, "Except for one small problem…" I say, picking up the weapon.

Funny how a gun made by humans would kill me faster than an Angel blade would. "The Colt doesn't work on Archangels." Gabriel finishes for me. Sam and Dean sigh, obviously understanding that this isn't an 'easy' way out. "Well, regardless, Lucifer is in Carthage, Missouri. The place is crawling with electrical storms, missing persons cases and omens." Sam says, spinning around his laptop for us to look at it.

Dean and I look at it for a second, "Any idea what he's doing?" Dean asks. "He's raising Death." Gabriel says calmly, still lounging comfortably on the bed. "How do you know?" Sam asks, wanting the hard facts before jumping to such a steep conclusion. Gabe sighs and rolls his eyes, like Sam just asked him to do something requiring mountains of work. "Death can only be raised through a very complex ritual, some of which would involve a large massacre. Hence why the entire town has been possessed. Also! It just so happens to be the exact same town that Death was sealed in, Luci does love his irony." Gabe starts explaining.

Dean doesn't look convinced, "We're going to need something a little stronger than inferences and 'I know the devil'." He demands. Gabe rolls his eyes once again, "Sorry bucko! Guess you're just going to have to trust me!"

I trust Gabe's instincts, but I don't think it was a good idea to tell the boys _why_ Lucifer is in Missouri. Knowing the two of them they are going to try and stop it even though they have no plan or means of doing so. They can't kill Lucifer and have no way of stopping the ritual. Dean and Gabe continue bickering about whether or not to trust Gabe's instincts.

"Enough!" Sam shouts, interrupting their arguing. "I just got a text from Bobby, Ellen and Jo are at his place… So here is the plan, we meet up with them there, and _then_ we discuss how to stop Satan from raising Death?" Sam suggest. The two of them hesitantly agree. Gabriel snaps himself away and I help Sam and Dean pack up our stuff. It looks like we have another long drive ahead of us.

[Page Break]

At Bobby's house it feels like there is some sort of reunion going on. We all talked out our plan with the whole raising Death problem but then it quickly turned into a party. Sam and Dean are having a brother moment at the desk. Ellen and her daughter, Jo are having a drinking contest with Castiel.

They invited me to join them but I declined for a number of reasons. One- I'm not to keen on consuming more alcohol after whatever night I just had. _**Good call.**_ Two- I'm still wary of Castiel; you don't just get over someone jabbing an Angel blade through your chest. _**He has apologized! Cut 'em a break!**_ Three- Ellen and Jo still don't trust me, and probably won't since the boys told them I'm a Hellhound.

Bobby comes around and starts drinking with Ellen and Jo. Well, if they are going to party, I'm going to spend this time thinking up a plan for this whole, 'Death rising!' thing. My grandfather obviously wants Death on the surface for the apocalypse, since Death is one of the four horsemen.

Would Death even listen to what Lucifer wants? I know the other three are all for the Apocalypse but from what I've heard about Death, he is pretty gung ho about the 'natural order of things'. What's dead should stay dead and people shouldn't die before their time. _**He isn't, Luci has already completed the ritual to bind Death to him, all that is left is for Death to come to the surface.**_

Okay, that makes sense… Wait, _You can bind Death? To a single entity?_ _ **You didn't know that? You can bind practically everything, Horsemen, Reapers, Hellhounds… Everything except for Leviathan.**_ _...Even Archangels?_ _ **In theory, yeah. Where are you going with this?**_ _So we could bind Lucifer? Order him to stop the Apocalypse?_ _ **Yeah… Where are you going with this, exactly?**_ _We need to bind Lucifer to one of us._

 _ **ARE YOU INSANE?!**_ _Maybe, there are two of me._ _Hello!_ _**You want to bind my brother to someone? Order him to stop the apocalypse?!**_ _You have a better Idea?_ _ **Do you even know if it'll work?**_ _No._ _No._ _**Oh my gosh, Yeah, you're insane.**_ _Sure I am, what's your problem? Humor me for a second, if we went through with this, what would we need?_ _ **Ugh, Several ingredients that are nearly impossible to get, as well as one that is actually impossible to get.**_

 _What are they?_ _ **...Just so you know I don't approve of this plan of yours!**_ _No, you don't. It's just the only one we have and it's might actually work._ _ **Well, before I tell you the ingredients there are a couple things you need to consider… One, the Apocalypse, at its base, it just Michael and Lucifer fighting. You tell Luci to stop, Mike is still going to try and keep it going.**_

 _So we bind Michael as well…_ _ **Why did I know you were going to say that? Anyway, second, Who are we going to bind them to?**_ I think about that question for a minute, They would have to be immortal, if the two of them are bound to a mortal then Lucifer and Michael will just start fighting again the moment they die. That only leaves Gabe and I.

 _ **Oh no! I am not going to be the one holding my older brothers' leashes!**_ _Well then I guess that leaves me…_ _ **OH HELL NO! You are not going to hold their leashes. Archangels have never been bound before but I know that it requires A LOT of juice! I don't care who you are! That much power would put ME through agony!**_ _Maybe Daisie could do it?_ _I'm not exactly qualified… I'm just your conscience._ _Ok, yeah, that settles it. I'm going to do it._

I hear Gabe sighing through our Telepathic link and he makes sure to send every ounce of doubt and reluctance over. _**So we have a plan… Are we going to bring the boys in on it?**_ I glance over to the boys, who are not talking to Ellen and Jo. Ellen's eyes flick over to me every couple of seconds; her limbs tense slightly when I look at her.

 _They're hunters… Even if we are friends, in their blood they will always have a sliver of doubt about my motives because of what I am… How do you think they would react if I told them I plan to bind two of the most powerful beings ever to me?_ _ **They would assume that you are trying to become more powerful…**_ _So, let's not tell them._

I think on the idea for a little while longer, I should probably summon them and trap them in a circle of Holy fire. That way, the two of them can't try and stop the ritual. Where would they go afterwards? I doubt that Heaven will let Michael back once they find out he got himself tied to a hellspawn. Lucifer doesn't want to go to heaven or Hell anyway…

 _ **They could stay here on earth?**_ _And for the vessels? They aren't getting Sam and Dean._ _ **I created my own vessel. Don't you think the more powerful archangels could do the same?**_ _Hmm… I guess there's a plan… Then why haven't they made their own vessels already?_ _**It required blood given**_ _ **willingly**_ _**by the original vessel. It's also needed for the binding spell.**_ _Okay… How are we supposed to get the blood from them without telling them our plan?_ _ **We'll figure it out.**_ _Well, we don't have much time…_

I am broken out of my thoughts by Jo grabbing my hand and dragging me towards the kitchen where everyone is. "Why are you sulking in the corner? Join us!" She says, handing me a beer. Everyone looks at me expectantly, I wave the beer around, "You realize this does nothing to me?" I ask, taking a sip anyway.

Sam and Dean chuckle, "Tell that to the Ostrich." Sam says. I raise my hands in the air, "I may not remember anything from last night but I _know_ that the Ostrich was all Gabe!" I exclaim. Dean chuckles, "Yeah? Well, according to your boyfriend, drinking that much alcohol was _your_ idea…" Dean teases.

I roll my eyes, "Gabe isn't my boyfriend. The second we finish with this whole Apocalypse deal, I'm confessing to Tony." I admit. Jo lights up like a Christmas tree, while Sam and Dean share a look. "That's what I recognise you from! Tony Stark's roommate/assumed lover!" Jo says excitedly. I shake my head, "Roommate? Yes. Lover? No, not yet." I respond.

"Hold it! Back up a few steps! What is this I hear about you and an Archangel getting drunk last night?" Ellen asks, taking another shot with Castiel. "It started out as us just watching 'The Princess Bride', then it evolved into 'Truth or Dare', before quickly becoming 'Dare or Dare'. I don't remember any of the details after we stopped the movie." I explain bluntly. "Oh, I remember Gabriel and you completely hammered, telling us about what you did." Dean interjects.

Jo sits down and looks at Sam and Dean attentively, expecting a good story. Dean smirks and keeps talking, "We got back to the room, the first thing Gabe did was kiss Sam… Apparently that was one of the Dares." The room starts cracking up at the image while Sam tries to disappear. I sigh and sit down on the sofa, knowing that this isn't going to end anytime soon. After a couple seconds Gabe appears at my side, also lounging on the couch.

Everyone seems to migrate to the living room after that. "What are you doing here, Gabe?" Sam asks, noticing the trickster's appearance. "I don't remember anything either…" Gabe shrugs. Dean keeps talking. "You two then went on to list all of the dares that you had accomplished over the night. Apparently, you two dropped water balloons off of the Eiffel Tower…"

Okay that isn't too bad. "Candace here jump scared the president by jumping out of his closet." That one is slightly worse. Sam picks up the story, "You two both painted the Pyramids rainbow colors…" "Hey! We needed to show the world that 'Love is Love!'" Gabriel announces. What were we thinking?! "We weren't." Gabe says, not caring about the odd looks Castiel, Ellen and Jo give us.

"Then you guys said that you chased the animals in the Bronx Zoo…" How did we not get arrested?! "We're supernatural entities… Duh!" Gabe comments. "Stole an ostrich from the Bronx Zoo…" That was definitely Gabriel, only he would do something like that. "Hey!"

"Gave Lady Liberty a sex change…" There isn't even any argument on that one… It was Gabe. "Yeah… I can't say anything against that one." By now Castiel, Ellen and Jo look super confused. "Swam in Michael Phelps' pool…" That actually sounds awesome! Like some crazy party gone right. "Agreed."

Dean sees my calm expression and smirks as he says this last one, "Skinny dipped, in Michael Phelps' hot tub…" WHAT! Oh, I'm suddenly oh so very glad I can't remember a thing. "That's just hurtful!" Gabe pouts. "CAN YOU PLEASE STOP THAT?!" Jo shouts.

Gabe and I look at her confused. "Stop what?" "That telepathic conversation!" She answers. Dean just chuckles, "You get used to it. Gabriel set up a Telepathic link in their minds. Honestly, it's freakin' adorable!" Gabriel glares at Dean. "Sort out your own love life before you falsely tease about someone else's!" Gabriel shouts, pointing directly at Castiel. Oh, that's right! Dean still hasn't fully accepted Cas' 'dibs'. "OHHHHHHH! BURN!" I yell. "Pun quite well intended." I see Jo smile. "Gabe, please explain to the Harvelles what you mean by Dean 'sorting out his own love life', as I'm uncertain as to whether they know what is going on." Gabriel smirks before going into details. Dean pales and Castiel vanishes just before he speaks, probably not wanting to be embarrassed.

Gabe flicks his fingers and the sleeve to Dean's shirt gets pulled up, revealing a red hand print. "That, is a Agápi, An Agápi is a type of Márka." Gabriel starts, turning to me. "The other type of Márka is called an Achti. Márka can only be given by either Hellhounds or Angels, as far as I know. An Achti is a mark of pure Hatred- I have given out several of these. They basically ensure that no matter where the person's soul goes, whether they are dead or alive, they will experience pure misery and suffering." I explain.

Gabe then picks it back up, "What Dean here has on his arm is the exact opposite of that. An Achti is a mark mostly given to one's enemies, an Agápi is the exact opposite…" Bobby is the one to understand first, then Ellen and lastly Jo. "Yup! Cassy called Dibs!" Dean looks like he wants to crawl under a rock and never come out. Castiel is nowhere to be found. "And Dean won't come to terms with that… why?" I say, rather sarcastically. "At least there's evidence for you and my brother. There's none for Candace and I." Gabe adds. I may have heard a bit of sadness in his voice, but I must've been imagining it. _Yeah, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night._ _Are you insinuating that Gabriel's in love with me?_ _I'm not insinuating anything!_ _I'm totally losing it._ … _**Yeah… You're probably losing it…**_

"Because I'm not Gay! That's why!" Dean shouts. Bobby just shakes his head, practically ignoring Dean's outburst, "Anything we should know about this Agapi? Side effects?" He asks, getting straight to the point. "No, not really. Once Dean accepts it, it'll work kinda like a supernatural wedding ring, other than that… you should ask your husband." Gabe says. "Friendly reminder, Gabriel, if you say that one more time, I will kill you." Dean growls. "Archangel or not."

 _Good luck with that…_ I clap my hands, "Okay! Can we move on from the high school drama? Any ideas about what we want to do about Death rising?" I ask, tired of this conversation… Actually, I'm just tired. It's getting late and the recent revelations are starting to stress me out. Sam shakes his head, "I haven't been able to think of anything. We were betting on the Colt and with that not an option…" Sam says. "We are completely fucked." Dean finishes.

"I vote we don't do anything…" I say. Their responses are immediate, "Are you crazy?!" "Just hear me out! That town is filled to the brim with demons, there are only eight of us and we don't have a weapon that will even scratch Luci. If we go, we'll fail and all die. If we stay, we'll fail and all live to fight another day." I say, looking each one of them in the eyes, willing them to see my point. "Let's lose one battle so we are still around to win the war." I finish.

They each reluctantly conceded, seeing my point. I nod. They each, one by one, retire to their rooms. Sam and Dean each have a room from when they were kids. Jo takes the other guest room and Ellen follows Bobby to his room- not going to dwell on that, they deserve to be happy. I resign to collapsing on the couch.

Today feels like it lasted forever… And I didn't even do anything! All that happened is waking up, being told that I had a wild night, and I had a stressful conversation with people that don't fully trust me. I bury my face into the armrest on the couch I am going to be using as a pillow tonight. A moment later I feel a warm blanket being draped over me and Gabe snaps a fluffy pillow under my head. "Thanks…" I say groggily, ready to pass out. I feel Gabe running his fingers through my hair, normally I would burn someone who does that but I don't want to right now… Guess I'm just tired.

"No problem," His hand comes to a stop at my forehead for a moment, "Now sleep." That little push of grace sends me straight into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


	23. Chapter 22

I wake up to the smell of Bacon and blueberries. What an odd mix, but it smells rather nice. I crack open a single eye to see Dean waving a plate of blueberry pancakes, eggs and bacon in front of my face. "Sleeping beauty awakes!" Dean announces.

I give Dean my best death glare for waking me up and roll back over. "Come on! Your boyfriend made us breakfast!" Dean says, shaking me like some sort of ragdoll. I roll back over and glare into the depths of his soul, my eyes glowing a creepy blood red. I curl up my upper lip slightly, revealing my black daggers.

"You try to wake me up again…" I whisper, revelling in the shiver Dean can barely conceal. "Ok, ok! Sorry…" He says, putting his hands up in surrender, backing away slowly. I hear a chuckle from the door to the dining room, "I told you not to wake her up." Gabriel sings in an I-Told-You-So type of way.

I sigh and push myself up so that I'm sitting up on the couch. Now that I'm awake, there is no way I'm going back to sleep. And that bacon smells good. I snatch the plate from Dean's hands and head over to the kitchen where Bobby, Ellen, Jo, and Sam are already eating. Castiel is standing at the side like some sort of silent sentry guard.

I sit down beside Jo, Gabriel taking the seat beside me. I gesture to Castiel, "Hey! Feathers! Relax, would ya? Sit down and eat something maybe?" I say, gesturing to the empty chair that is conveniently beside Dean. Castiel shakes his head, "Angels do not require sustenance." He says simply.

I glance briefly at Gabriel, who is shoving half of a pancake in his mouth. "Humor me." I say. Castiel reluctantly takes a seat beside Dean. They both look extremely uncomfortable. I'm going to have to talk to Dean aren't I? "Probably." Gabe comments, starting on a piece of bacon. I roll my eyes, "I wasn't asking you." I mutter, starting to eat my own food.

"Can you guys not start with the telepathic conversations?" Sam asks, looking slightly annoyed. I roll my eyes and keep eating. "I think it's cute." Jo comments. I take a quick glance around the table, realizing how much of an odd bunch we are.

"Four humans, two angels and a Hellhound are all sitting at the table…" I say, as if I'm leading up to some joke. "I've heard that one!" Dean says, playing along. Ellen shakes her head, "All we need now is a Vampire and perhaps a Demon." "No." Dean, Sam and I say in unison. None of us have very good experiences with Demons.

The rest of breakfast continues in a similar fashion, Random teasing along with stupid jokes, Most of which that come from either Gabe, Dean or I. I eat my fill and start standing up, "I'm going to head out back…" I say, emptying the rest of my plate in the trash and putting it into the dishwasher.

"What are you going to be doing in my backyard?" Bobby asks. I send a couple flames into the air, letting them fade out after a second. "Don't want to get rusty." I say, before heading out the door. I find a decent little spot in a clearing of cars.

I start simple, making a flame different shapes, sizes and colors. Throughout the morning I try more a difficult things. Eventually I have a purple dragon fighting an army of unicorns, giants and centaurs. Keeping each one moving requires a lot of concentration and after a couple minutes I have to stop or risk losing control.

"Thanks for the light show." A voice from behind me says, I turn around and see Dean sitting on a car. I wipe the sweat that has gathered off of my forehead. "You're welcome." I say, with a dramatic bow. "Why are you here?" I ask, getting onto the hood of the car right beside him.

"I wanted to talk to you… Without any prying ears." He says, giving me a look. _Can you stop listening for a bit?_ _ **...Fine.**_ Once I am satisfied that Gabe is gone I look back up a Dean. "Gabe isn't listening." Dean nods and goes silent for a moment. Since he doesn't want Gabe here I am guessing that whatever he wants to talk about is embarrassing and Gabe would pick on him for it.

"I've been thinking about last night's conversation…" Dean says suddenly. Oh… I wouldn't want Gabe to be listening either. "And?" "And something Gabriel said caught my attention… Any other questions I have I should ask Castiel…" Dean goes on. I raise an eyebrow, "So you plan on asking me these questions?" I ask.

"Yeah… If I talk to Cas about this it would fill the guy with false hope. I want all the information about this stupid mark before I make a decision.." Dean tries to explain. I sigh, "There actually isn't much information I can give you. Agapis aren't given out very often, so not much is known about them… I haven't ever given one out so I can't give you any personal experiences… All that I do know about them is that once you accept it, it will mess slightly with your emotions, your feelings can grow but never decrease. It will also act like a GPS. You'll always know where the other is. Everything else varies…" I say, explaining as simply as I can.

"Like?" Dean pushes… He really wants to know everything he could expect. "It really just depends… In some cases the two have developed Telepathic links, even if neither of them possess that power. There have been those that can feel the others emotions, and in some extreme cases they share injuries. Everything really just depends on the couple." I say, trying to think of any other examples I have heard of.

Dean looks extremely embarrassed as he says asks this question, "So… If I 'accept', any of those could happen?" I nod, "Or something completely different." I answer. "I know that it is extremely common, when dealing with an Angel, for the other to be able to see their wings…" I answer.

Dean nods and jumps off of the car, "Thanks…" He says, starting to head back into the house. "Hey Dean!" I call, making him stop for a moment, "Don't take too long in making a decision, That is just going to be torture for you both… And don't over think things." I say, He nods and goes inside.

I jump off the car and get back to practicing, I'll go back in around Lunch.

[Page Break]

Around Noon Sam comes out and calls me back inside. I come to where everyone is gathered in the living room. "What's up?" I ask, plopping onto the couch beside Gabe. "The sun." Gabe says simply, scootching slightly to give me more room. "Not what I meant… Sam, what's the sitch?" I retort. "Well, in Morro Bay, California… there's a bunch of premonition and warning signs for something, but I don't know what it would be. There are also some really weird bodies showing up everywhere… People dying of an unknown poison, people that were burned alive." Sam says, listing everything he has found.

"I've never heard of a creature that both poisons and Burns people…" Ellen comments. "We could be dealing with different creatures…" Dean points out. "Well, whatever it is, there are either a lot of them, or it's powerful, probably both. Get this, Some of the people were burned in the middle of a mall on a Saturday, no eye witnesses." Sam points out.

"...Looks like we are going to California." Bobby says. "All of us?" I ask. "Well yeah. Whatever this thing is, it's powerful. And if there are a lot of them, we'll need all the help we can get." Bobby answers. I nod my head. "Sounds good. I've always wanted to go to California." Jo says.

We all pile into the cars. Ellen, Jo and Bobby in his truck. I get stuck in between Castiel and Gabriel in the back of the Impala. The drive is long and uncomfortable, the Angels don't seem to mind, but I hate being squished. I swear Gabe keeps leaning closer on purpose. We stop here and there for gas, Gabe keeps snapping up snacks.

Once we get about fifty miles away from Town the Mist starts to thicken. Once we get about twenty miles away I can sense what this creature is and all of the clues click into place. "Shit!" I proclaim at the same time Gabe does, Castiel just said a small little, "That's peculiar." I guess he doesn't know what it is, he just knows it's not good.

"Pull over at the next gas station!" I demand and Dean complies. Bobby pulling his truck right beside us. We all get out of the car, "What's wrong?" Bobby asks. "We are dealing with the Freakin' Chimera that's what's wrong!" I shout. I wipe around to face Gabe, "I thought Zeus kept it and its mother on a tight leash?"

"Apparently not… Aw, shit. They don't even know what we're talking about, do they?" Gabe whines. "No, we don't, mind filling us in?" Dean asks. "We are dealing with the Chimera, from Greek Mythology." I say simply. Everyone except for Dean understands what we are talking about.

"Chimera? Like the fire breathing, poisonous, head of a lion, body of a goat, tail of a snake?" Sam asks, trying to make sure he heard us right. I nod. "Okay… How do we kill it?" Dean asks, obviously not seeing the problem. I just stare at him for a minute before dryly saying, "That last person to kill it was Belephron, on the back of a Pegasus, by forcing it to ingest a ball of lead, it died of lead poisoning."

Dean shrugs, "Okay, so it's not easy." "Not easy?! That's the understatement of the century! It's fire proof and it's poison will actually hurt us!" I say, pointing at the Angels and I. Gabe picks up where I left off, "Not to mention, we don't have the right weapons and you won't even be able to see through the Mist."

"Mist?" Jo is the one to answer, "It's a magical force. Alters mortals' perception. Demigods will see the truth while Mortals will see something completely ordinary. If Candace were to start lighting things up in a place filled with the Mist, people will most likely see her holding a flame thrower… They see what they can understand."

I'm impressed that she knew that. "So how are we supposed to get Demigod weapons _and_ make them see through the Mist?" I ask, pointing out our debacle. "...We could call Hecate?" Gabriel suggests. I think about it for a moment… It's not hard for her to make people immune to Mist… She just needs a little blood. _**And we can use this opportunity to get the Blood from Sam and Dean.**_

"That will work…" I say out loud before turning to everyone. "Hecate is capable of making people immune to the Mist, as the Goddess of Magic and the Mist. She just needs a bit of blood from those who are requesting it." I say. Everyone seems a bit hesitant before giving in.

"How much?" Bobby asks the important question. Oh, I hate lying like this… "For most people it's barely a couple ounces… But vessels are a bit more resistant to her spells." I say. The boys understand instantly. Gabriel snaps up some cylinders and everyone starts putting blood into it. The Winchesters however, fill up three. _I hate this…_ _ **It's necessary. Plus, they won't feel a thing when the rituals are complete.**_

Gabe puts all of the blood in a cooler, discreetly snapping away the extra vials of Winchester blood. "Okay… Now we just have to hope Hecate is in a good mood." I say, starting to draw a large symbol on the ground outside of this abandoned Gas Station.

Gabriel summons her, actually saying the summoning in Ancient Greek. After a couple seconds Hecate shows up in the summoning circle. She is very pretty, not Aphrodite pretty, but she is still a Goddess- none of them look ugly. "Gabriel! Why in Hades did you summon me?! And why did you bother with the stupid circle?! Do you have any idea how annoying this method of summoning is? You could have just called!" The Goddess immediately starts ranting.

"Sorry…" Gabriel says, actually sounding apologetic. "Listen, I need a favor." Hecate's face sobers very quickly. "Gabriel… What did you do this time?" "Why do you assume _I_ did something?" He asks, very confused.

"Because the last time you asked me for a favor, it was to help you hide the fact that YOU WERE STUCK AS A HORSE AND PREGNANT!" Oh, fuck. "You asked Hecate to help you?" I question. "I was desperate, okay?" Gabriel tells me before holding up the cooler of blood. "I need these people to be immune to the Mist."

Hecate's face immediately relaxes. "That's all? That is probably the simplest favor I've ever been asked…" She says, taking the blood. "It'll be done in about Ten minutes." She says before vanishing, not even giving me time to thank her. We turn around to face everyone else. Their faces are pure shock.

"What? Never meet a Goddess before?" I ask. "None that weren't trying to kill us… They normally aren't that nice." Sam says. I roll my eyes, "Well, so what do we do now about the weapons. We need either Celestial Bronze, Imperial Gold or Stygian Iron." I ask. Not having too many ideas.

"You have _an_ idea… You just don't like it. What is it?" "I need to call in another favour… He's not going to like this, he has already helped stop two apocalypses, I don't want to drag him into another." I grumble. "I don't know if you have a choice."

"Okay...Who is this guy?" Dean asks. Probably wondering what other two Apocalypses I'm talking about. "Nico Di Angelo." I answer. Sam and Jo immediately look confused. "Nico? Like from the Percy Jackson series? The Rick Riordan books?" Sam asks. I nod my head. "...I thought those were just stories."

"It's a similar matter to the Supernatural books. Prophet started writing, or in this case, oracle and they didn't even know what they were writing was real." I answer. Sam takes a moment to drink this in, "Are there any other books like that?" "Yeah, a bunch. Harry Potter, for example, was actually co-written by Hermione and Harry. They just let J.K. Rowling take the credit." I answer.

"The Wizards are actually Hecate's 'pet project'." Gabe says, snapping up a rainbow. "Now ask the kid for that favor." He says, throwing me a Drachma. I toss the golden coin into the rainbow, "Oh Iris, Goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering." I say, ignoring the odd looks from everyone here. "Nico Di Angelo."

The image shifts from a rainbow until I'm looking a Black Haired Teenager, playing video games in one of the Camp Half-Blood cabins, along with a couple other teenagers. "Nico!" I call. The kid jumps a couple feet in the air, whipping around, completely forgetting about his game.

All of the other teenagers laugh at his reaction. "Who are you?!" Nico asks, when he notices the IM. "Oh, that's hurtful! To think you could forget about me! It's Candace." I say. The teenagers are trying to stifle their giggles while everyone on my side is staring in awe at the IM.

"The Hellhound?" Nico asks, finally placing the name. "No, the Cyclops. Yes! The Hellhound!" I exclaim. This one girl on the other side seems to recognise me, "Tony Stark's roommate is a Hellhound?" I sigh, "Is that all I am known for nowadays?" "Yes." Everyone choruses.

This one girl, a blond, so I'm guessing it's Annabeth, speaks up. "Are you the same Candace from Rogue Hound?" Of course the bookworm has read it. "Yes… Now, back to the reason I called. Nico, you remember that favor you owe me?"

Nico narrows his eyes, "You mean the one I've already repaid?" I wave my hand in the air, "Whatever. The Chimera is in California and I'm fresh out of weapons." That seems to get their attention. "In Tartarus you were armed to the teeth in Celestial Bronze… What happened?" Nico asks. " _She_ found it Shiny." I answer bluntly. Judging from the simultaneous wince, everyone here knows the story.

"Yeah… I can get you some Stygian Iron, The underworld is practically overflowing with it." Nico responds, "You're a lifesaver, you beautiful Angel of Death!" I announce. All the teenagers immediately start laughing. "...Don't make fun of my name."

"Speaking of names… Introduce me to everyone!" I demand. Nico starts pointing around the room, "That's Piper, Jason, Leo, Calypso, Frank, Hazel, Percy, Annabeth and Will." He says. I was about to say something when Nico cuts me off, "I'll get the Iron and Shadow Travel to you as fast as I can." And with that he shuts off the IM. "Well, someone was in a hurry…"

I turn around to the boys. "Please don't freak out." Sam and Jo are wide-eyed. "That was, the Seven?" Sam asks. "Yes, it was." I nod. "It's kinda nice to see them acting like teenagers instead of warriors trying to stop the End of the World." Sam comments. "Yeah. Nico and Will, I believe, are together, as are Leo and Calypso. It's been awhile since I've seen them."

Dean goes silent for a moment, "Did we just get a bunch of kids involved in the Apocalypse?" He asks. "Nah, we got them involved in slaying the Chimera. According to ancient law, Greeks and Romans aren't allowed to interfere with anything not Greek or Roman." Gabe answers. "Fair enough."

 _ **We need something from Hades for the binding. You should probably try to stay on good terms with Nico.**_ _Okay… What do we need from Hades?_ _ **A pomegranate…**_ _Okay, I could ask Nico to get it for me._ _ **It has to be picked by the one Lucifer is being Bound to.**_ _Shit._ _ **We can figure that out later, right now there are other ingredients we need to worry about.**_ _Okay… We should probably deal with the stupid Chimera before we do anything._

After a couple minutes Nico appears in the Shadow of Bobby's truck, dragging behind him is a chariot of Stygian Iron. Gabriel bounds right up to him, "Nice to meet you Angel of Death! I'm the Angel of Speed, that over there is the Angel of Thursday!" Gabe introduces with a stupid grin on his face.

Nico glares at me, "See what you've started! The name has stuck at Camp as well!" Nico complains. I shrug my shoulders, "Sorry." "No, you're not." Nico corrects dryly. "No, I'm really not." "I brought the Iron." Everyone else starts testing out each of the blades while I stay as far away from them as I can. I sit on the hood of the Impala while they find their weapon.

Nico jumps up and sits beside me. He pulls a small dagger out of the his black leather jacket. "It's not going to do much against the Chimera, but I thought it'd fit you." Nico says, handing me the dagger. I take the Dagger, marveling at the Sheath alone for a moment.

The handle is Stainless Steel. The entire thing has been colored Black, Red and Orange to look like Flames. There are also Rubies attached to the Handle. I carefully take the Sheath off. Half of the Blade is made out of Silver, the other Stygian Iron. There are Greek Runes engraved on the side, reading Kólasi-Fotiás, Hellfire.

Experimentally I gather fire around the blade, the Blade absorbs it, changing to a beautiful red-orange. Like the Blade itself is made of fire. "It's gorgeous. Thanks." "No problem. Listen… I know about your plans with Lucifer and Gabriel…" Nico says quietly, gesturing with his head to Sam and Dean, "You should tell them… I think they would help."

"They would assume that I'm just trying to get power… I'm a Hellhound, they're Hunters. It's in their nature to be suspicious of everything I do." I argue, keeping my voice low as well. Nico just shrugs, "It's also in their nature to try and stop the Apocalypse, you have a plan, they don't. It only makes sense that they would try and help you with yours."

"I'll think about it… Anything else you wanted to say?" I ask, giving in slightly. "Yeah, do you remember the advice you gave me about Percy when we were both in Tartarus?" He asks. "Yeah, I told you to move on. That there was someone else out there. Percy just wasn't right for you." I say, summarizing the really long speech I gave within the pit.

"This is me, giving you the same advice about Tony… I don't think he is the right one for you." Nico says, refusing to look me in the eye. "W- what makes you say that?" I query. "You've said it yourself, he's a playboy- he's always gonna move on. He's gonna break your heart. I don't want you to face heartbreak, like I did." "I understand. Until he proves that he doesn't truly love me, I'm still gonna love him. Although I have a feeling that the advice we've shared is probably the best I'm gonna get."

Nico nods before jumping off the car. Everyone seems to have found a weapon they like. "Looks like it's time to fight the Chimera… You coming or going back to camp?" I ask, getting off of the car myself. "Can I keep the snake head as a trophy?" He asks. "Sure, that's going to be much cooler than Percy's stupid Minotaur horn." I answer.

"Hey guys! We have another member of our team for this hunt!" I call. Jo looks like she's gonna freak out. "Which car do you want to ride in?" I ask, knowing that he will either have to deal with a freaking out Sam or a Fangirling Jo. He knows it too. "Whichever one you are riding in… I don't know half of them." I just realized I never introduced everyone.

"That is Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Castiel, Dean, Sam and Gabriel." I introduce, pointing at each one. "Hi." Jo says shyly. Does she have a crush on Nico? Too bad there are a couple problems with that. _**Nico's gay and unavailable?**_ _Yup._

We all get into our respective vehicles. Castiel getting in Bobby's truck to make room for Nico in the Impala. After about five minutes of silence Nico speaks up, "So, I read both Supernatural and Rogue Hound…" Oh no. "I have a couple opinions I would like to share." "Alright."

"Starting… Gabriel and Candace are awesome when drunk." I guess I can agree with that. "And Dean… The whole 'I'm not gay!' excuse never actually works." We all start laughing while Dean turns red and stutters. "Trust me, I would know. If it's that hard to accept, just tell yourself you're only bi." Dean continues to stutter.

"Sam, as much as you think you do, you don't actually want to be normal. The life is greener on the other side of the street. Sorta thing. I've already given Candace my advice. Gabriel, You should probably tell her. And for all of you, STOP BRINGING EACH OTHER BACK TO LIFE! The first time Sam came back was mountains of paperwork, then you guys did it again! Dad is getting tired of it!" Nico says.

Dean looks confused, "Dad?" Oh, we never told him… "Uh… Nico isn't fully human…" I start, not liking how Dean's fists clench around the steering wheel. "Let me introduce myself, I'm Nico Di Angelo, Son of Hades." Nico says simply. "Demigod."

We drive into town and start driving to the mall, the last known place the Chimera attacked. Once we get about three blocks away something rams into the side of the Impala, sending us flying. I guess we found it…


	24. Chapter 23

We all scramble out of the car- once it lands- and get into a battle stance. Well, Nico, the angels, and I do… the Hunters have probably never fought with swords and daggers before, or had in depth training. The Chimera snarls at us, revealing his blood stained Ivory Dagger-like teeth.

The Chimera has the head of a lion, the body of a goat, a blood-caked mane, and a ten-foot-long diamondback rattlesnake-headed tail which grows out of its shaggy behind. The venom in its saliva could easily burn us alive, much more painfully than my fire could. I'm actually scared of this thing. I could just as well die here. _Don't think like that. Think happy thoughts. You gotta kill this thing._ _You're not helping at all._ "Each of us need to take out one of the heads, then work together to kill it entirely." Nico shouts. "Try not to get bitten by any one of the heads. I don't have the antidote for the venom."

I light up a circle around this creature and start launching Dragon fire at it. It's the strongest thing I can think of, and will do the most damage. It works, burning the Chimera's fur. It also effectively pisses it off. "Aw, come on!" I yell. The Chimera- wow, that's hard to say every time. Can I call him Lin? I'mma call him Lin- Lin swings the rattlesnake head my way, and I barely raise my dagger up in time to chop off it off.

The poison contained within the Head sprays all over my arms, burning like acid. "FUCK." This is almost as bad as flying out of Afghanistan holding onto an Iron suit, Almost. "Hey, Nico, got the head for you!" I shout, ducking as Lin snaps at me with his lion head. I think I just pissed him off even more. Nico opens a gap in the ground where Lin's back hooves fall into and get trapped.

Now that Lin is trapped in one spot I extinguish the circle of Dragon fire. I then decide to do something stupid. Lin has a weak spot on his belly, like most monsters. Without his Snakehead, the only defence he has is his claws and fire. I'm immune to fire, so I just have to avoid the claws. "Do you have a death wish?!" Gabriel shouts. "Probably!"

And with that I charge forward, jumping out of the way each time Lin swipes at me, the second swipe gets my arm but I keep going. I slide right under his jaws and under his belly. Please don't lay down, please don't lay down. I jab Hellfire straight up, into his gut. I end up taking a bath in Chimera blood at first, but after the fourth stab, through his heart, Lin dissolves into golden dust.

"Goodbye, Lin. You will not be missed." I say triumphantly. I let myself just lay there on the concrete, not caring about the fact I'm drenched, head to toe in Chimera blood and monster dust. "Well. That was exciting." Dean mutters. "Wait, did I just hear you call it 'Lin'? Did you fucking name the Chimera?" "Yeah, she did. It's kind of a thing we do."

"Hey! Percy named a Titan Bob!" "Still talking about Percy? I thought you had Will!" I retort. "Shut up." Nico growls. Gabriel can't let it lie, though. "Percy and Nico up in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-" Suddenly the ground underneath Gabriel's feet splits open and he falls through, leaving only his head above ground. "I told you to shut up. Candace listened, however you did not. I now understand why she is annoyed by you." Bless you, Nico di Angelo…

One second Gabe is sitting in the ground, only with his head showing, the next he is leaning against my shoulder, "Touchy!" I resist the urge to punch him. "Please don't touch me." Gabe pouts but stops leaning on my shoulder. "Now that we've finished killing this thing, who's ready to go home?" "I was more hoping we could hang out at the beach for a while. It's gorgeous here." Jo pulls out her phone. "There's a motel not far from the shoreline, we can book rooms there and walk down. Nico, you gonna stay with us?" He shakes his head. "I need to get back to Camp. Capture the flag tomorrow has Hades against Apollo, not going to back down from this…" Nico says, walking into a shadow and disappearing.

"That's a healthy relationship… 'I can't wait to beat you up in the games tomorrow!'" "Yeah, no kidding."...Is that going to end up in the Rogue Hound book? So Nico will one day know we said that? Does Rogue Hound also include my thoughts? So the people that read it will know I'm thinking about if the people read what I think about? _**Stop! You're hurting my head!**_ _Achievement unlocked._

"So are we staying here to enjoy the beach?" Jo asks. "I think so!" "The world is ending, and you want to go to the beach?" Bobby asks, clearly annoyed. "The world's ending, so this might be the last time we get the chance to." I point out. "Way to ruin the moment!"

[Page Break]

So here we all are, on the beach, in swimsuits. It took forever to convince Castiel to take off his trenchcoat and put on the swimsuit. Gabriel kept asking if we could go to a nude beach. I had to assure him that there were none around. Not that I actually looked.

This entire place is crammed with people. Too many people. "Everyone back in the car!" I announce, getting into the driver seat before Dean can say a thing. I drive them not to far away to Malibu point, and park in Tony's driveway. I get out and walk to the door, not even opening it.

"JARVIS? Is Tony home?" I ask. "No Miss, he is in New York creating the blueprints for the Stark Tower." The AI responds. "Thanks, can you open the door please?" I ask and the door clicks open. "Are we breaking into your boyfriend's house?" Dean asks, not even hesitating to walk into the house.

"I live here too! Anyway! J. Where is the elevator?" I ask the air again as Bobby, Ellen and Jo walk in. "Down the hall, Second door to your left." J. responds. The three of them jump into the air. "That is JARVIS, he runs the house." I say, leading them to the elevator. We all fit in it easily.

The elevator lowers a couple hundred feet, opening to reveal the beach. "Welcome, everybody, to Tony Stark's private beach!" I announce, loving the smile that crawls across everyone's faces. Gabriel's smirk, however, puts me on edge. "Since it's a private beach can we make it a Nude beach?" He asks. "NO!" We all say in unison. "Absolutely not." "I think Tony would have a freakin' field day. As would most of the news stations." Gabe sighs. "Okay…"

I then get an awesome idea, "Gabriel! Can you snap up a Paraboard?!" I ask. "Para-what now?" Dean asks. "You've never gone paraboarding? Wow. I worry about you boys a lot." "To be entirely fair, we never had time."

Gabe gives them the basic explanation, and Sam volunteers to go first. He flies! for about five seconds. Then he falls flat on his face, eating sand and seawater as he goes. Dean, rather reluctantly, goes next. He actually lasts a bit longer, soaring above the waves and manages a few tricks. "That was fun!" Bobby decides against going out, but Ellen agrees to try it.

Ellen makes it farther than Dean did before getting off and sitting next to Bobby, their toes in the water. Both of them have a beer from the cooler Gabe snapped up. Castiel and Gabriel go next. Both of them are awesome, doing tricks most professionals have trouble with. I have a sneaking suspicion that they were using their wings to help thing.

Next is Jo and I. We both get on and go, not even looking back. We both do several tricks, pushing each other to do something more spectacular. It wasn't until we saw the city that we realized we had traveled for miles. We both hop off and start the long walk back. We leave the parasails there, if Gabe can snap them up, he can snap them away as well.

Jo and I talk about random things on the way back, as well as find a couple Conch shells. When we make it back no one else is there. I'm assuming they went up to the mansion. Jo and I walk back toward the elevator and just before we get in, Dean and Sam come up behind us. "Boo." My immediate reflex is to light up my hand and prepare to punch. "Whoa, be careful." "Shit! Dean, what the fuck made you think that was a good idea?" Jo shrieks. "I tried to convince him not to, I swear!" Sam defends. "Pretty sure you're lying, but ok. Whatever you say… You ready to head up?" "Sure."

When we get upstairs, Castiel, Bobby, Ellen and Gabe are already sitting at the table, where burgers and hotdogs have been prepared. I'm guessing Gabe made them. "Correct!" I roll my eyes and sit down at the table. After a couple minutes the TV in the dining room turns on, showing Tony's face.

"I was wondering when you were going to show…" I comment, eating a potato chip. "JARVIS told me you'd be around. Who are all these people you brought into my house?" Tony asks. I point to each of them, "Well, you already know the Winchesters and Angels, That's Bobby, Ellen and Jo." I respond, still eating my Bacon Cheeseburger.

Tony's eye immediately flicker to Jo, a very familiar look crossing his face, "Tony… She is at least fifteen years younger than you… No." I say. Tony clears his throat, "Anyway, what are you doing at the house? Aren't you trying to stop the Apocalypse?" "We decided to take a break."

A look crosses over Tony's face, "Can I help?" He asks, like a little kid wanting to help his Dad at work. "Tony… yo-" "What?! Mark B1 B2 and B3 are all complete! I can help!" Tony whines. "B1, B2 and B3?" Sam asks, confused. "Specialized Iron Man suits, B1 is for Demons, B2- Angels and B3 is for the regular nasties, but they are purely for emergencies." I say, turning back to Tony. "Oh come on!"

"We talked about this, you deal with Arms dealers and I deal the things lurking in the dark. You got the Normal Uglies, I get the super Uglies." Tony rolls his eyes, "Before I forget, I upgraded your set. You can have JARVIS get them out for you."

"Those things could already outrun a fighter jet… What can they do now?" I ask. "They're faster, easier to maneuver and more heat resistant. Just upgraded what is could already do." Tony says simply. "Thanks!" I say, finishing my burger and dashing downstairs. I step into the field, waiting as JARVIS gives me the boots, hands and headset.

Without wasting another second I fly out the garage door. Let's test what these new babies can do!

Gabriel's POV:

We all watch as Candace plays with her new tech. Doing flips, loopty loops, barrel rolls, twirls, you name it. She had a lot of fun doing all of these tricks at supersonic speed. Not long after she dashed downstairs did Iron Douche hang up.

Candace seems to really like Slutmonkey's present. In fact, she seems to like anything the fucker does. She doesn't notice that he's whiny, immature or that he tries to hit on anything that moves. I realize I can be whiny and immature at times, but not _all_ the time like Microphallus.

I tune into Candace's thoughts for a moment, I'm surprised she hasn't figured out how to do the same with me yet. 'This is so much fun! Tony really gave these babies a boost… Would the Angels even be able to keep up with me?'

 _ **Yes.**_ _Prove it!_ _ **Nah.**_ _...Are you okay? You would normally jump at the chance to do something like this…_ _ **Sorry! Guess I'm just not in the mood to find out which is faster, The Archangel of speed, or your boyfriend's gadgets.**_ _Are you sure you're okay?_

Honestly? No. I just had to watch you flirt with Tony, the pompous asshole. I just watched the woman I love flirt with a douchebag. I have to sit here quietly as you fall even further for the player who doesn't deserve you… No, I'm not okay. _**I'm fine.**_ _If you say so._

She doesn't believe me and I don't blame her. I don't even believe myself...


	25. Chapter 24

**Don't kill me, okay? I had planned on updating more often, then just forgot.**

Candace's POV:

I spend the next hour or so testing the limits of the new tech. I'm going to have to thank Tony for this later. I land on the balcony, opening the door to the living room where everyone seems to be preparing to leave.

"What's going on?" I ask, deciding not to take off my super cool supersonic rocket boots/gloves. I keep the headset on as well. "We found a case." Sam answers simply. "A case? Aren't we supposed to be on a mini-vacation?"

"It's a friend… He called, said something has been killing people at the psych ward he's in." Dean answers. I think I see where this is going… And I don't like it. "Please don't tell me you're gonna get checked in." They only smirk at me.

[Page Break]

So here I am, sitting in the office of a psychologist with the Plaid brothers. Ellen, Bobby and Jo went back to the Singer residence, not wanting to break something at Tony's place. I'm pretty sure Ellen and Jo are going to be on their own hunt pretty soon. Gabe went to gather some of the ingredients we will need for the rituals…

"You were referred to me by a Dr. Babar in Chicago?" The man asks. "That's right." Dean lies easily. "Isn't there a children's book about an elephant named Babar?" Apparently the boys have zero creativity whatsoever. "I don't know. I don't have any elephant books." Dean retorts.

"Look, doctor, I think that the doc was in over his head with this one because my brother's…" Dean says, twirling his finger around his head, whistling. "Okay, fine, thank you, that's That's really not necessary. Why don't you tell me how you're feeling, Alex." The doc interjects.

The boys also gave us false names, Alexander (Dean keeps saying Alexandria), Dean is going by Eddie, and they get me the name Katherine. "I'm fine. Heh. I mean Okay, a little depressed, I guess." Sam starts, sighing. "All right, Any idea why?"

"Probably because I started the Apocalypse…" Sam answers truthfully. The doctor pauses for a minute, "The Apocalypse?" "That's right." "And you think you started it…" The doctor says, disbelievingly. "Well, yeah. I mean, I killed this demon, Lilith, and I accidentally freed Lucifer from hell. So now he's topside, and we're trying to stop him."

"Who is?" It's amazing how much these doctors just keep quiet and listen to people's stories. Judging from his face he obviously doesn't believe Sam. "Me. Uh, him, her. And, uh, this one angel." Sam answers, pointing at each one of us.

"Oh, you mean like a- Like an angel on your shoulder?" "No, his name's Castiel. He wears a Trenchcoat." It takes every fiber of will power in my body to keep myself from bursting out laughing at that.

"See what I mean, doc? The kid's been beating himself up about this for months. The apocalypse wasn't his fault!" Dean says, surprising the doctor even further. "I mean, who would have thought killing Lilith was a bad thing? If anything it was my fault! I was the one who broke the first seal in Hell." Dean says.

I guess my line goes here, "You two are both idiots! It's my fault! I was the one to drag Eddie into Hell and I was the one that insisted Alex kill Lilith! It was my fear of Lilith that started all this! If I had just been stronger my Grandfather wouldn't be topside at all!"

This is where the doc cuts in, "Your Grandfather?" He asks hesitantly. "Yeah, I'm Lucifer's Granddaughter." I answer in a duh like voice. The doctor leans forward to press his little com button, "Erima, cancel my lunch." He than looks up at us, "Uh… Why don't you start at the beginning."

I decide to speak first. "Well, My parents, the first Hellhounds, were created by Lucifer to help fight in the Angelic civil war…" I start, the boys sit back, knowing that this is going to take a while. "Hellhounds? Like, Cerberus?"

"Yeah, he is my uncle. Anyway, I was born a little while after the war ended and Granddad got thrown in the cage. Because of my powers, Demons came after me. Eventually _She_ got me. She wanted me to work for her, dragging souls into Hell and whatever else she wanted… I refused at first… So she got creative," And involuntary shudder consumes my body.

"What did… _She_ , do?" The doc asks, trying to sound like he believes me. I curl in on myself, without even realizing it. I don't want to go over these memories. "I...I don't want to talk about it…" I say, the stutter wasn't on purpose. "I refused to work for her for so long… so long. I don't know what broke me. Actually- I do. I know exactly what she said that made me give in… She asked me, 'Why I remained on the good side, the holy side, when I have never been given something good or holy because of it…'"

The boys look at me in shock, not expecting me to be so honest. I've never told anyone that… Why am I saying it now? I shake my head of the thought and continue, "...Working for _her_ was pretty simple, I had three jobs, Drag down humans who _she_ wanted in Hell, Hunt down Demons that went rogue, and to… be her personal punching bag whenever she had a bad day."

"I did a lot of bad things while working for Lilith, but refusing is worse than Hell… I would know. I will never forget the consequences of refusing to drag down Martin Luther King Jr." I say, subconsciously running my fingers over a small spot on the back of my hand. One of Lilith's favorites was to melt iron until it could flow like water. She would let it drip on sections of my skin, that time… She let it burn all the way through my hand.

A single drop, she would wait for it to cool and revert back to solid iron before adding another drop. It took so long… She wasn't satisfied until it had burned all the way through my hand. She would then do the same thing to each of my limbs, a single hole was burned through both feet and my hands. She then nailed me down, stunting my ability to heal, and left me there for a week… And that isn't even the worst thing that happened…

Only when I feel myself start to get light headed do I realize I'm having a panic attack. I try to breath in air… I can't! I can't breathe! _**Hey! Calm down! Lilith is gone! You're safe! Come on, just relax… just focus on me okay?**_ I listen as Gabe starts to ramble about anything and everything and slowly, I start to calm down.

When I open my eyes again I see Sam and Dean staring at me with worry, the doctor right in front of me, he was probably trying to give me advice on how to get past it… Too bad that didn't work. "I'm sorry doc…" I breathe out. He nods, checking me over once more before returning to his seat.

"I think I can finish…" I say. "Only if you want to…" "I need to say this one day, why not today? I worked for _her_ for awhile… Then I was given the order to Drag Eddie here, down into Hell. When Hellhounds drag down a soul, we can read everything about it… Their personality, what makes them special in the grand scheme of things, why they are going to hell in the first place… That kind of thing."

I look directly at Dean for this, "I gathered a couple things from your memories… 'our family's so screwed to hell, but maybe we can help some others.' Just because my life sucks… Just because I'm in pain, I'm hurting, I'm suffering, doesn't mean I should do the same to others… Putting others through Hell doesn't let me escape from my own… It just plunges me farther into the pit. So I left Hell, against _years_ of reasons not to, I ran from _her_. Now I'm trying to make up for all my past wrong doings" I finish.

Terrific job I've been doing… I started the Apocalypse. A look passes over the boys' faces. They gain some new aspect to their features that wasn't there before. I can't place it… _**You just gave them a reason to trust you, idiot.**_ _...Why? Why are they trusting me? We have a plan to stop the Devil but haven't told them about it!_ _ **Now that they trust you… You could always tell them?**_ _You don't think they are going to try and stop us?_ _ **Not like they have a plan to stop it. Plus, I'm not going to let them lay a single hand on you.**_ _Thanks, Gabriel._

I tilt my head towards the boys, "They can explain the rest of the story."

[Page Break]

The boys explain the rest. Almost immediately after we finish the story the doctor admits all three of us to the hospital. Somehow, we all get assigned the same nurse. Sam and Dean get called back first, a couple minutes after Dean gets called back I do.

I walk into the room with the nurse and immediately notice that her soul isn't human. Looks like we found our monster, but what type of monster? I need to figure that out before I join up with the boys. "Hey pumpkin! I'm just gonna take a little blood to run some test okay?" She asks, overly friendly. I'm surprised the boys didn't notice she wasn't human just based on her attitude.

The moment she touches my skin I know what she is, a Wraith. I can feel her toxin trying to worm its way into my psyche, trying to make me go crazy. It's not very effective against me, but I know it gets more powerful the longer it's in your system. Sam and Dean are going to go crazy within a couple of days. It may not work very well against a Hellhound, but it will work eventually.

She notices my slight resistance to her Wraith drug, and ups the juice. I need to get away from her now! What do I do?! I can attack her right now because then I'll be wanted for murder. I just need to get her away from me… I've already had one panic attack today… Could I fake another convincingly? Worth a shot.

I open my mouth and scream as loud as I can without reverting to my Hound vocal cords. It's loud enough that people outside the room can hear. "HELP! IT'S A DEMON! SHE'S BACK! SHE IS GOING TO TAKE ME BACK! PLEASE, DON'T LET HER TAKE ME BACK!" I screech, scampering away from the Wraith.

Security barges in the door and I point frightenedly at the nurse/Wraith. "IT'S A MONSTER! IT'S GOING TO KILL ME! DON'T LET HER KILL ME!" I see Sam and Dean outside the door, looking into the room with concern. I scurry past the under the security guards and run straight into Dean's arms, keeping up the show.

I purposefully widen my pupils, looking upward with the best frightened puppy look I can manage. A very good one, if I say so myself. "Don't let the monster take me… I don't want to go through that again." I whimper, giving Sam and Dean a wink. They understand instantly.

One of the guards places a hand on my shoulder and I immediately jump, spinning so that I'm behind the brothers, using them as a shield. "You have to finish the exam… It's mandatory." "I'm not getting anywhere near her!"

The original doctor, the one that we told the full story to comes up, shooing off the guards. He doesn't get too close, making sure to keep at least five feet from the boys and I. "The exam is mandatory… but it doesn't have to be completed right now. In a little while, once you've calmed down we can try again. I'll make sure you have a different nurse okay?" He says, like he is talking to a little kid.

I nod my head and cling to the boys as we walk away. "So it seems we found our monster." I say, not really caring if people hear, that already think I'm crazy. "Yeah, nice show by the way…" Dean comments. "So what are we hunting?" Sam asks.

"We are hunting a Wraith. That's why I was so eager to get away from the nurse." I say. Neither of the boys seem to understand. "Wraith?" Oh, great. I sigh before explaining, "A Wraith feeds on the juice in one's brain. They have a long straw like tube concealed in their wrists."

Both of the boys scrunch up their noses, "Gross!" "Yeah, well, crazy brains are extra juicy. By just touch alone they can basically drug you. Up the crazy." They stop, "Are we going to go crazy?" Sam asks. I shrug my shoulders, "How quickly Wraith crap affects someone varies, I imagine it would take more than one dose to get you two. When we get out of here we should probably have the Angels clear our systems, just in case." I answer. "That's probably wise… what do we do, in the meantime?" "Find some silver. And a mirror. We gotta gank the bitch. Guess what, it's our nurse." Dean grimaces. "Yay. Brain-juice zombie."

{Page break}

I manage to steal a silver letter opener- combined with my dagger, it'll do the job. Neither of which I would have been able to steal of it wasn't for my invisibility. There's mirrors in the front lobby which is probably why the wraith avoids that area. If we can get her alone, she'll be great prey. There's another death. A man hangs himself in his room. In the morgue we find that there's a hole at the base of his skull, and his brain is completely dehydrated. It's honestly disgusting. Not many things can gross me out- this is one of the few that can. I'm kinda glad Tony isn't here to see this- he'd probably pass out. Not to mention- the media would have a field day with this, 'Tony Stark under assumed name in mental ward', 'Tony Stark in Mental ward- has he finally snapped?'. Yeah, it's probably for the best.

One night, I'm awoken to Sam struggling in the room next to me. I open my eyes, and, once I'm confident I'm not being monitored, I turn invisible and look into his room. There's someone hunched over his bed- injecting something into his bloodstream- he goes limp. It's the wraith, I see her reflection in the glass-windows. Wow, that's creepy… She manages, somehow, to drag Sam's body into a padded cell. I follow them in, and sit in a corner, still invisible to everyone. I'm still inside when she restrains Sam to the bed. I'm still inside when she locks the door. I grab Hellfire and wait until she returns.

Several hours later, Sam's just barely conscious, just waking up, when she returns. "Let me go!" He yells. "Oh, no. You're far too angry to be out in the real world…" I hold up a small compact mirror I stole- yep, that sunken in face, stringy hair, it's a wraith, alright. Good to know I'm not losing my touch. Quickly making the mirror visible to Sam, he looks in it at the wraith's face, "You."

She smiles. "Of course it's me! I gotta say, you hunters don't exactly live up to your rep. Sure, Martin's a wreck. He's basically harmless! But you, and your brother, and that crazy red-eyed girl- you were so easy to spot, with your tough talk about killing monsters and running from demons. All it took was a touch. So simple. You were bat-shit crazy."

Sam's wide-eyed, and he struggles against the restraints. "I fucking love it in here! My own five-star restaurant." She trails her fingers on Sam's forehead, then licks her fingertips. "Ahhh, crazy brains are the best! Get soaked in adrenaline, dopamine, hormones, and chemicals and shit, make them so delicious! You know, the crazier, the better." "You did this to me! You fucking made me insane!" Sam looks almost delirious. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was.

"Hell, no! I simply enhanced what was already there. The rage? That's all you. I just gave you a push." Ok, this bitch is getting on my nerves. I don't think she's sensed me yet, so, I'm poised to attack. "You build your own hell. I give you the Legos. When you're ripe, I make all the problems go away." The straw-spike extends from her wrist- even though I've seen worse, it still makes me wince. "I know you're there, 'Katherine'. You don't have to hide."

I quickly make myself visible, drawing Hellfire. "Let him go… I don't have to kill you just yet." _**Are you fucking kidding? Of course you do! I don't even know how many she's killed- there were, what, three here in the time you've been here. What the everloving fuck are you waiting for?**_ _I wanna give her the choice. Either leave, work in the morgue or something, or I kill her. I would have wanted it._ _ **Your funeral. I mean that quite rhetorically and sarcastically- I'm not letting you die.**_

"I'll let him go-" There's the catch. "-If I get to drain you instead." _**Don't do this, are you crazy?**_ _Trust me._ _ **What?**_ _Gabe, just this once, trust me._ "Alright. Release him, first." The wraith and I quickly undo the straps holding Sam down. "Get the fuck outta here, don't look back." I whisper. I palm Hellfire into his hand, and he races out the door. "I'm all yours."

I never learned her name. I suppose that way, there's only a face for the nightmares to play with in hell. No names to be forever ruined. The wraith smirks. "Lie down. I'm not gonna let you run." I let her strap me down to this thing. If it means everyone's happy, I'm gonna sacrifice myself. _**I fucking told you not to…**_ _I have a plan, you winged shit. If I die in the process, it won't even matter._ "Now, you'll only feel a little pinch." She says, almost child-like. I'm getting terrible flashbacks to Lilith… shit. _**You have invented a new kind of stupid! You didn't think this through, did you?**_ _Nope!_ _ **Oh my dad, why.**_

I suddenly burst out laughing. "What is it? What's so funny?" She questions, keeping the spike toward my head. I'm trying to keep her attention on me, this entire time. I've been keeping Sam invisible in the room. "You know, you were trying so hard to make us go batshit crazy? I got one thing to say, bitch-" Sam takes this cue to snap off her wrist-spike, gushing blood onto me. "-Crazy equals genius." I break through the restraints- they wouldn't have held me, anyway. All a matter of acting. Be prepared to see me on Broadway or the silver screen- I'm gonna get me a Tony or Oscar someday! Sam tosses Hellfire to me and I stab the wraith in the gut. "Sorry, I was stalling. Enjoy purgatory!" I screech triumphantly. "I'm a fuckin' arsonist, I'm a rocket scientist. Oh, if Crazy Equals Genius!" My soft singing quickly grows into a victory song. "You can set yourself on fire… But you're never gonna burn, burn, burn- you can set yourself on fire, but you're never gonna learn, learn, learn!"

Sam smiles at me grimly. "Another day of saving the world… one more night of nothing but tears." "Hey, let's focus on 'now'. We killed the wraith, and I'm pretty sure we need to go figure out a new cover. Let's get Dean and run."

{page break}

Driving back to Bobby's is a nightmare. Dean decides to spend the night in a bar in Sioux Falls once we return, and Sam actually joins him. I don't blame them. The only thing stressing me out is having to relive the Age of Lilith memories. That iron-dripping was the least she did. It was like a twisted crucifixion- burning my hands, feet, nailing me to the ground, I couldn't heal, but I couldn't seem to die. It was a whole week before she let me down… Sometimes she'd dunk me in super-molten iron, let it cool on my skin and form a body cast of me- not let me out- so I'd just be uncomfortable-no, burning- like Han Solo in carbon-freeze - she'd starve me for months- sometimes years, on end- a no brainer when I'm encased in iron… I've had horrible burns for a decade after that. I think my skin completely peeled off after one such time.

I don't want to think about it, I don't exactly have a choice though, my mind went down this rabbit hole, I gotta let it finish. She flayed me once with an iron knife, I remember she put me in a cell, didn't give me food or water- that was for seven earth years-840 hell years- I think… It was terrible, I remember thinking 'Why don't you just kill me?' and I must've said it aloud, Lilith responded, 'That's too nice for hellspawn like us.' I guess our punishment is that we're supposed to stay alive for eternity until something comes down and kills us all- destroys all the bad in the world.

 _ **Hey, don't think about that, don't go any further down the rabbithole. Don't think about that. Focus on me, just focus on me. Focus on what keeps you grounded to this time, to now. Don't focus on that. I won't let you ever have to go back there. I won't let any demons try to tame you. I'm gonna make sure you're safe.**_ Gabe's voice calms me. _I was freaking out a bit, wasn't I?_ _ **Yeah. I think you stopped breathing for a few moments. You ok?**_ _I was scared- that rabbit hole is too deep, I don't want to go down there again… It's deep as Hell itself._


	26. Chapter 25

**Don't kill me! The contents of this chapter was a 4 am brain child!**

I awake the next morning from a dreamless sleep… That's odd, I was expecting my night to be plagued by nightmares. Especially after all the skeletons that I let walk out of my closet… I frankly, wasn't expecting me to get to sleep at all. A couple memories try to worm their way to the surface but I squash them back down before I can dwell on them.

 _ **I promised not to let**_ **her** _ **hurt you ever again, that includes within your own mind.**_ _You- you've been…_ _ **Changing your dreams, Yes. Every night you have a tendency to open your closet door, I just put the monsters back where they belong and lock the door until you open it again.**_ _How often have you been doing this?_ _ **Every day I can since I fe- Since a little after I sent you to Afganistan.**_ _...Thank you._ _ **You're welcome! Now roll off of Singer's filthy couch and come have the breakfast I prepared!**_ I decide to do exactly that.

Cinnamon rolls and bacon awaits me in the kitchen. I sit down at the table and notice that no one else is awake yet… "Since we have an opportunity to talk… What are all of the ingredients we will need? We have the Blood, I know we will need a Pomegranate… What else?" I ask, lowly.

Gabriel sighs, like it's _so_ difficult to answer. "A couple odds and ends I could get at every other supermarket on the planet. The only things that are going to be a bit difficult to acquire are the Femur of a Carnotaurus and at least two bones from an Archelon." He answers. "Can't you just bring them back from the Dinosaur ages?" "It's not that simple, they have to be as old as my brothers- or pretty close- if I were to go back in time and rip it out of the creatures, they would basically be brand new. They'd probably still be dripping with blood. So, no, it won't work."

The sigh, "Are we going to have to rob a museum?" I ask. "Yup!" Well that's just great! I can see the headlines now! 'Candace Armina, Tony Stark's roommate, Arrested for breaking into a museum!'. "Don't you have invisibility?" Oh. Wow. I'm a total idiot. "You idjit. Anyway, these are priceless fossils we're ending up destroying. Please, be careful with them as you steal them from the museums."

I roll my eyes as the boys walk into the room, along with Bobby. "Steal what from a museum?" Dean asks. "Gabriel, for some reason unbeknownst to us all, wants to steal a wax figure for something. Don't ask me, I don't even know." No matter how much I hate lying… I _am_ Lucifer's granddaughter, lying comes naturally. I might not even be lying- knowing Gabriel, there is probably a wax statue out there we would want to steal. _**No there's not!**_ _You sure 'bout that?_ … _**Michael Jackson. But only to see the humans panic trying to find their precious figure!**_ _Of course..._

They just shake their heads, easily believing in the lie. I mean, technically, I'm not lying. I'm telling the truth, just not one that applies to this situation. _**You and Lucifer and your stupid ability to find loopholes in anything!**_ _Family gift._ _ **It must've missed me…**_ _Right, because you can't be manipulative at all when you want to be!_ _ **Hush, you.**_ _Bitch please. Listen to Candace, because, unlike you, she's actually sensible._ _**Aw, come on.**_

I block out Gabe's and Daisie's voices for a few moments. "I've got to go. This is gonna be a long walk." Dean smiles. "Stay alive. Although I doubt your guardian angel will let you die for long." "Shut up, Dean." I shoot back. "Bobby, you got a car I can borrow?" "Yeah, there's a nice '67 Impala just waiting to be crashed out there." Dean and Sam glare at him. "Really? Man, that's not fair." "Ok, that was a joke! But there's a '65 Mustang outside. Keys are in the glove compartment. You can keep it, if you want."

"Thanks. See you guys in a week. Let me know if anything big happens."

[page break]

"Yo, Luca? How you doing?" I ask into the phone. "Any big travels? Wait, you know what? You've got a cambion with you. Meet me in the diner in Sioux Falls. I got a mission for you." I can basically hear them giggling on the other side of the line. "Copy that, we'll meet you there." There's a ten minute drive into town, and I reserve a table for the three of us in the diner. A few moments, the boys walk in.

"Well, you made it! Come on, tell me, how were your escapades?" I laugh. "Well, we've gone pretty much everywhere. Started in Italy, went to Greece, Israel, made an attempt to visit every place where there's major mythology. Then we went to New York. Because, well, Olympus. They wouldn't let us up because it's not winter solstice yet. Also, I thought the Statue of Liberty was a woman?" "That was my fault. Gabriel and I got drunk and went crazy." "Anyway, then we went to Las Vegas, Los Angeles-" Jesse continues. "Be sure to breathe, kid. Don't need you passing out on me. I get it, you had a lot of fun. Luca, did he learn the basics about his power?" I have to make sure I'm doing more good than harm. "Oh, yeah. He can probably rival the angels at this point." Luca cuts in. "Don't say that too loud, the archangels will hear you…"

 _ **Too late! I'm gonna walk in, we can tell them what they need to do in full Mission: Impossible style.**_ _Man, really? Why must you make everything a reference?_ _PLEASE FOR HELL'S SAKE STOP._

True to his word, a moment later, Gabriel the small angel walks into this small diner. He pulls up a chair, and begins, in a perfect British accent, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it-" "Stop it. I'd rather be divisive than indecisive. Drop the niceties." I growl. "Fine. Anyway, we're planning a binding spell, and we need you to break into the Argentine Museum of Natural History. One of the ingredients is a Carnotaurus femur. I know you can just zap it here, Jesse, but don't you think it'd be more fun running around like you're in your own spy film? Anyway, it doesn't exactly matter how you get it, just make sure you get it back to us as soon as possible."

"What's Candace gonna do?" Luca asks protectively. "I'm gonna break into a museum here in South Dakota and steal an Archelon shell. Since my invisibility works basically like Hades' helm, I can just make them hallucinate that everything's ok." I inform him. "This is some National Treasure shit right here."

"Wait, a binding spell? Death's already bound. Can't bind him again… Candace, who are you planning to bind?" Jesse looks very concerned. "GOD FUCKING DAMNIT." Luca growls. "She's gonna bind Michael and Lucifer to her. I don't know whether she's a genius, or entirely insane." "We are going to completely avert the apocalypse. Save billions of people. It's what I'm doing, to make up for _her_ torture." "That spell also involves a forbidden fruit, you're gonna have to die to get it!"

"That's why every little thing has to go according to plan." I respond quietly. "I'm gonna go, best of luck to you boys."

{page break}

I wait until nightfall once I reach the museum.

It's simple to walk through the walls and collect the archelon shell. Once I lift it off the hooks, though, the alarms sound. I can hardly imagine the guards' confusion when they see alarms going off everywhere, but nothing out of place. "What the fuck?" I hear someone yell in the distance. "Someone turn off the alarms- there's nothing wrong!"

I smile to myself, striding out of the museum and driving off to the nearest motel. It was almost too simple. _Sometimes I wish we got more difficult assignments._ _We're gonna end up dying and working our way to Hades' throne room, passing by Thanatos. We're gonna have to pick a Pomegranate and climb back up to the surface without eating it. This is a freakin' walk in the park._ _Eh, I guess you're right._

I get to the motel and check in, two queens out of habit of traveling with the boys. I carefully bring in the gigantic shell, that I could barely fit in my car, into the motel, sending a silent prayer to Hecate to keep the mortals from realizing I'm carrying a dinosaur bone. _Ay yo Gabriel. I got the shell._

I gently place the shell on the bed farthest away from the window. _All we need now for the binding is the Pomegranate, what else do we need to build their vessels?_ A ruffle of feathers and the creaking of a mattress alerts me that the Trickster is behind me on the other bed. "Nothing, I could start making the vessels right now." Gabriel says.

I turn around to see him lounging on the bed, feet crossed at the ankles, one hand behind his head, the other grabbing a gummy bear out of the five pound bag he has resting at his side. "Don't you dare make copies of Sam and Dean. Make them look somewhat different." I demand.

Gabe shrugs, "Well… Their created vessels will look like one of their real ones. If you don't want it as Sam and Dean then we can only make them look like John and Mike." I wince at the thought, "Sam and Dean aren't going to like that Michael looks like their father…" "I can't think of any of their other vessels at the moment. We don't have a choice." I sigh. "Alright. Start working on those vessels. I need to figure out how I'm gonna get the pomegranate. 

As I say that Jesse and Luca appear in the room, Jesse holding a Femur. "Got your bone." He says, placing it on the Archelon Shell. "I see that." I say, "Now we just have to figure out how I can acquire a Pomegranate." I say. "A Pomegranate? Like from Persephone's garden?" Jesse asks. "Yup…"

The safest way into Hades' Kingdom is to bargain with Charon. Some Drachmas along with a nice Italian suit would do the job… But that would only get me in, I then wouldn't have anything else to bargain on the way out. I could always get Gabe to get me out but he wouldn't know when… Telepathy or Prayer doesn't pass from the Underworld to the surface. So I have to use Charon to get out.

That means I need to find another way in… I could die? "No!" Gabriel immediately shoots down. "It would work! I put on a backpack filled with everything I would need to bargain with Charon, I die, get the fruit and leave via Charon!" I insist.

"How would you get out of Tartarus and into the regular underworld?" Luca asks, seeming to like this idea as much as Gabriel does. "I still have a few favors I can call in…" I answer. "It doesn't matter! To do this one of us would have to kill you! That's not happening!" Gabriel exclaims.

"Me neither…" "I'm not doing it." Jesse and Luca agree. I sigh, well great. This is the only plan I can see that would work and no one is willing to go along with it…

{page break}

I spend the next week or so trying to convince them this is the best idea. They all seem fine with the plan, just not with the fact _they_ need to kill me. Okay, I'll just have to die on a job. Before I can bring it up I get a call from the Winchesters. They have a case- Two people eating each other- what the fuck, this is messed up. When they were found they were still chewing. "We are about to go hunt down Cupid… Felt like something you would be upset to miss out on." Dean tells me. "Are you calling me a 'star crossed lover'?" I snap.

"It's an actual case the might involve _killing_ Cupid. Thought you would enjoy that. Jeez, who stole your Cheeseburger?" Dean responds. I sigh, "You're right, I would enjoy that. Gabe, Luca and Jesse are just pissing me off." I respond, not allowing any more of my agitation be heard. "Really? What'd lover boy and the Hell force do?" Dean asks.

I roll my eyes at the stupid labels, "We found something during the week I've been gone. I finally think up a plan that would work, it's risky but it would work. Then they all go and say it's _too_ risky, when none of them have any better ideas!" I start to rant. "Hey! Hey! Hey! As much as I hate to say this- And I mean _**Hate**_ \- if Gabriel thinks it's a bad Idea...It probably is."

"Thank you for your support!" I sing sarcastically. "He-" "Just hold tight, I'll be there in a little while… Let's hunt Cupid." I decide to shadow travel to where Sam and Dean are, leaving behind the Archangel and others that I am slightly upset with at the moment.

It's amazing how used the boys are to people randomly materializing out of thin air. The people at this bar don't even notice my appearance. "I never thought that I would end up hunting a Cupid on Valentines day…" I say, easing back into the booth. I take a brief look at Dean, "I never thought that you wouldn't be participating either." I comment, noticing how Dean is sitting next to Castiel and not chasing some girl...That's progress.

Dean rolls his eyes, "Whatever…" before a look that I can't recognise passes over his face, "What do you think Tony is doing right now?" He asks. It _is_ Valentine's Day… "It's Tony." I answer, trying to ignore the seed of jealousy that has taken root in my heart. Sam nods, "And that doesn't bother you?" "You kinda get used to it, I guess."

The waitress passes by and I immediately grab her arm, "As much whiskey as you can get me legally." I demand, ignoring the snickers from Sam and Dean. After a few minutes the waitress comes back with my whiskey and burgers for them. I only notice the odd atmosphere around the town when Dean doesn't eat and Castiel takes his burger.

I was about to mention the odd, old and powerful presence when Castiel declares he found the Cupid and disappears. I roll my eyes, down the last of my whiskey and follow the boys. When I get there Dean is being hugged by a large naked man. The Cupid goes around hugging each of the guys when he notices me.

He tries to get close to me but I just glare, "One step closer and I'll be eating freshly grilled Cupid wings tonight." I growl. The Cupid backs up. "Sorry! Sorry! It's just- Well-" The Cupid reaches forward, almost like a fan wanting to touch some celebrity's jacket. "What?" I snap and he backs away.

"Sorry! It's just, you're kinda famous right now!" The Cupid says with a smile. "What?" "Oh yeah! The big bosses, Samara and Mayra, have taken a special interest in your case! Found you interesting! They are writing your story personally! All us little guys can't wait to see how it ends!"

The room goes quiet for a moment, "I have, not one, but Two Cupids trying to control my love life?!" I ask… The Cupid nods enthusiastically, "You should be honored! Everyone they have taken interest in has found happily ever after! Sure, there are a few heartbreaks along the way to make the story interesting, but never have they stopped meddling with the main character unhappy! It's quite neat, really." _**Good goin authors! You wrote yourselves into the story! Douche move! Although… does that make all the readers cupids?**_ _I'm mad at you. Go away!_ _ **Wait, wait, wait, wait, wa-.**_

I decide it would be best to ignore the fact I have people writing out my love life and focus on the case, you know, the one with lovers eating themselves alive. "Uh… Guys… This isn't our killer, not even close. Whatever is making people go crazy is a _lot_ stronger…" I say, awkwardly patting the Cupid on the shoulder.

"Do you know what it is we're hunting then?" Dean asks, trying very, very hard to keep his eyes off the Cupid. I examine the presence in the air and the victims mentally for a moment, "Well… For all of the victims, they died indulging in something they liked… to the point of death. Like they couldn't stop…" Everything clicks into place, "Like they couldn't satisfy their hunger…DAMMIT!"

Of course! The four horsemen have been released- and only Death had to be bound. That must mean the other three are on board with Lucifer's plan. With these victims never being satisfied, they nearly starved- not just for food, for their greatest desire- and the horseman who deals with hunger is-

"Famine. Famine is here. We gotta get him." I mutter. I glance at the Cupid who is still looking at me in awe, "Shoo, get outa here! I know you have at least _something_ to do, It's Valentine's for crying out loud!" I wave him off. He disappears, "Now that the stupid cupid is gone… Let's talk strategy."

[Page Break]

We are sitting in the Impala right outside the diner where Famine is currently hiding. I shake my head, trying to ignore Famine's influence. Castiel is right beside me, eating another hamburger. I still haven't forgiven Castiel, not completely, but even if I don't trust him, I trust the Winchesters.

Sam keeps looking at me every couple of seconds. Dean doesn't seem to be affected at all by Famine. "Are you sure all of you are okay?" Dean asks, noticing our discomfort. "Yeah… Just hungry…" I say, trying to make it seem like no big deal. "Then why aren't you trying to get across the country to Tony?" Dean asks. "That's not it."

This piques Dean's interest, "Really? Well what does the Hellhound hunger for?" He asks with a stupid grin. "Redemption, Forgiveness, Something like that." I answer, "I'm not even sure how I would go crazy for it… What does one do to find forgiveness? Seems impossible." I say. Castiel stops eating for just a second, "A truly insatiable hunger…" He agrees before eating again. "What's going on with you and those burgers? That's like your fifth one!"

"It is not me, It's my vessel, Jimmy. It would seem that I've acquired his taste for animal carcasses." Castiel admits, taking another bite. "So you're telling me, Famine is affecting angels too?" Dean asks, "And Hellhounds." I add. "Yay." _**Famine?! What is going on?! Where are you?!**_

I thought I blocked the stupid Telepathy link… I try to squash the link back down. _**Where are you?! Don't do anything stupid! Come on! Tell me where you are so I can help!**_ _You are starting to sound like Tony._ _ **I am nothing like that idiot.**_ _Calm down, man… anyway, no, I'm not telling you where I am. If you were smart at all you'd be able to track us. You would also be able to realize I'm a bit pissed with you at the moment._

I block the conversation as best as I can… Everyone then seems to be getting out of the car. I follow, Castiel and I going around back, Sam and Dean waiting for our go ahead to come in the front. Once Cas and I go in, however, we reach a roadblock. It's not just the insane amount of demons inside- our hunger increases in Famine's presence. Castiel starts raiding the kitchen, but me? Without a proper way to satisfy my hunger, I just collapse to the ground.

Famine looks like an old man severely sick with… Something. He looks really fucked up. I try to fight back, get up and burn the horseman, "I promise to forgive you if you stay there and keep your mouth shut…" Famine says conversationally. Those words shouldn't have had much of an impact, but I find myself unwilling to move a single muscle. _Oh, shit. What did this fucker just say to us?_ _He just told us he'd forgive us. We just need to stay here and be quiet._ _I doubt that includes mind-chats._ _Did you just name this?_ _Yes._ _Are you kidding me?_ _Nope!_

It doesn't take long for Sam and Dean to realize something is wrong and barge in. Castiel's downing a pan of raw meat- it's not even cooked!- and I'm not going anywhere. It's only up to them. It doesn't take Sam more than a couple seconds to collapse from the Hunger. Alone against several demons, it takes Dean but a moment to become immobilized.

Famine presses a little button on his chair so that he turns to Sam. Who is this dude, Emperor Palpatine? Creepy. "Sam…" He tuts. "You should give in… It will be so much easier if you do…" Famine promises. Sam's eyes slowly turn to me… Oh, He's craving Blood isn't he? That's what he hungers for.

"Candace, I'm sure that Sam would be happy to forgive you, as long as you help him out… Be a dear, would you?" Famine insists. My body moves on it's own, unable to stop. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck._ I walk forward to Sam, not showing a single sign of resistance as he cuts my arm and starts drinking from my wrist.

At first I don't even notice the difference, the single thought 'This will make him forgive me for all of the crap I've put him through' plays over and over in my head. Once Sam's drained maybe three pints, I begin to feel the effects. Light headed, dizzy, but I just don't care. 'You want them to forgive you don't you?'

Five pints, my legs give out beneath me and a cold feeling starts to seep into my bones. Sam doesn't even seem to notice that I fell or Dean's shouting from the other side of the room… Seven Pints, I can feel my body going into shock… I still don't resist. 'This will help, this is the right thing to do…'

Nine, I can barely see at this point, everything has lost color, shape and even size. There is no up or down. I have lost all feeling in my legs, I still don't push Sam off- I don't want to. I pass out at Ten, but I'm pretty sure he kept going.


	27. Chapter 26

**Don't kill me for hurting Sam!**

 **Gabriel's POV:**

' _If you were smart at all you'd be able to track us. You would also be able to realize I'm a bit pissed with you at the moment.'_

So that is what I did, I tracked her. It wasn't easy, especially when a Hound doesn't want to be found. Then something changed… Like Candace suddenly got weaker and stepped trying to hide her presence. It was simple to track her from there- an old diner in an old town, with an older presence. Famine.

I barge through the front door, Instantly smiting all of the demons in the room, with barely a thought. My eyes land on Candace and rage and fear seep into my heart. She has collapsed on the ground, unconscious, but Sam is still drinking blood from her wrist.

I see red… One second I'm on one side of the room, the next Sam has been flung against a wall and I have scooped the unconscious Hellhound into my arms. With barely a flick of my fingers the knife in Candace's boot, Hellfire, flies across the room, cutting off Famine's ring finger and both the ring and the dagger land right next to me again.

With Famine's ring no longer in his control, the trance that Sam, Candace and Castiel were in has dissipated and immediately I see the regret in Sam's eyes. I don't care. I glance at Castiel, "Take Dean back to their Motel." I order, in a overwhelming and commanding tone I haven't used in years. Castiel, like the soldier he is, doesn't even question my order before disappearing with Dean.

I keep Sam pinned to the wall for a moment, while I ensure that Candace is alright. I can't use my grace to replace her blood, but I can speed up the process her body creates it naturally. I don't even look at Sam until her face is at least a couple shades darker, starting to lose that unnerving pale look. I know that she isn't going to be completely better until later.

I pull her head up under my chin, wrapping a single set of my wings around her, trying to protect her from anything… If only I wasn't already too late. "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to hurt her!" Sam says, not even trying to get off of the wall. My anger doubles at that statement.

"No! You meant to… You wanted to take more… Drain her completely!" I growl, tightening my grip around her, enough to remind me that she is still there but not enough to hurt her. "You took ten pints before I could stop you and you were willing to take everything. You would have killed her! And now you have an enemy who is one of the most dangerous creatures in the universe: Me."

I force him into another Groundhog day-like Time loop, only this time, it's the day the Jess died. Each Night she dies, in one way or another… Each night hurting more than the last. I start with the fire, then, at the last night, she's killed by his own hands.

I let him back out, every single one of those 27 days happening in less than a minute from my point of view. I was expecting a punch the moment he got back out, at the very least a glare, but his eyes are filled with nothing but Empathy. "I get it…" Sam whispers. "I understand now, don't make me watch that again. I was hoping I'd forget, that was five years ago."

"What do you understand?" I demand. "Nothing is worse than feeling helpless…" Sam replies. What? That isn't at all what I was trying to get him to understand! Sam just keeps talking and for some reason… I listen. "Every night I saw Jess die a part of me died too, I didn't want to see her hurt, I promised to protect her… And I failed. What would have been her New Year's eve, I would have proposed, then she died and I couldn't."

Sam slowly looks up at me, "I understand… You weren't able to protect her, so now you're hurting what hurt her. The same motivation I had for going after Azazel... I understand." My false rage rears it's head once more, "WHY AREN'T YOU MAD AT ME FOR LOCKING YOU INTO ANOTHER TIME LOOP?!" I demand.

Sam smiles softly, "Because you want me to be… You don't see it as my fault Candace got hurt, or Dean, or Cas or even Famine. You blame yourself for not being here. You want someone else to hate you just as much as you hate yourself right now… I understand… That feeling in your chest, the guilt? The best way for it to go away, is for _her_ to forgive you…"

I don't want to listen to anymore of this BS. I snap Sam into his bed at the motel and carry Candace to my own personal safe house as far away from them as I can. I lay her down on the bed and rewrap my wings around her, the first set to protect her and the other two prepared to fend off anything that would try to hurt her… But it's too late.

I just lay by her side for hours, silently running my fingers through her hair. I'm tempted to mark her then and there, the thought of always knowing where she is, is incredibly appealing, but she would not appreciate it… Not when she is in love with Tony. I settle for opening the Telepathic link again, this time making it harder for her to completely shut me out like she did.

Oh Dad, the irony here. My refusal to go along with her plan to get herself killed… Almost got her killed. For the first time in years… I try to talk to my father, "Dad? I know you've gone and disappeared on us, and I know that you probably aren't even going to reply… But I may as well ask…" There are so many questions running through my head, so many things I've wanted to say.

What do I do about this messed up love triangle? Where have you been? Are you coming back? Why do you just let Mike and Luci fight? Why are you letting so many of your creations just fend for themselves? But the questions I want to ask the most are…

"This idea of hers… to get the Pomegranate, can I trust it not to go wrong? Will she even trust me to protect her after this? After I failed?" I wait for an answer, kicking myself when there isn't one. Why would there be? Why was I stupid enough to expect one?

The sound of Candace whimpering breaks my train of thought. I carefully brush a strand of her hair out of her face, using my grace to brush away the nightmare at the same time, wincing slightly as I notice more faces have been added for the nightmares to play with… Famine and Sam.

I mentally prepare to sleep, Angels don't _need_ sleep, but I find it relaxing… Before I can allow myself to drift away a single thought enters my head… One that is not my own, 'Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith first, the trust part comes later.'

[Page Break]

 **Candace's POV:**

I wake up and immediately decide I want to stay wrapped up in this warm cocoon of fluffiness. I sigh contently before trying to force myself back to sleep. "Sleeping beauty awakens…" I hear a voice drawl from behind me... Why is Gabriel in my bed?!

"Technically you're in my bed…" Under normal circumstance I would have bolted right out of the bed… but I'm so comfy, warm and I feel… Safe? It's been awhile since I've been blessed with that feeling.

I peak open my eyes to see that there is nothing wrapped around me… I'm not even under the blankets! A thought drifts into my head… "Am I wrapped in your wings?" I ask dryly. "Yup! Only two of them though…" Gabriel answers easily.

I roll my eyes and start to get up, only to find that the invisible wall of fluffiness won't move out of my way. "Let me up…" I grumble. Gabe uses his actual arms to pull me back down, "No, not letting you up until you're healed…" He grumbles into my back, not going to admit how much that tickles.

"Gabe… I'm still mad at you…" I say, starting to pry his hands off from my arms… Too bad they won't budge. "Sorry for trying to protect you… and failing." Gabe says, I can barely hear that last part with how low he says it and the fact it's being muffled by my back.

"That's not why I'm mad… I'm mad because you didn't trust my plan." I sigh. "I'm not going to trust, like or go along with any plan that involved you dying…" "You think I _like_ dying?! I hate this plan just as much as you do! It's just the only one we have!" I exclaim, temporarily giving up on escaping his grasp.

Gabe sighs, "As much as you know I hate saying this… You're right." He says, lifting his head slightly so his voice isn't quite as muffled. "What was that?" "Oh shut up! You heard me and I'm not saying it again!" I chuckle at his little outburst.

"Anyway… I'm going to go along with your idiotic plan, just know that I'm not going to be the one to kill you…" "I wasn't expecting you to. Believe me, I'm just planning to die on a job. Now seriously, let me up! I feel weird knowing that I am wrapped up in your wings when I can't even see them…" I say, trying to get out again. And like before, Gabe doesn't budge. "Nope, you are not going anywhere. Not until you are completely healed!" Gabe demands stubbornly.

I sigh… resigning to my fate. Out of pure curiosity I reach out my hand and touch the invisible wall of super fluffy feathers. Cause, I mean… Come on! If you had the opportunity can you honestly tell me you wouldn't pet an Angel wing?! An _Arch_ angel at that?

Gabe immediately tenses and starts shaking violently… "Gabe? Are you ticklish?" I ask with a grin, purposefully trying to tickle his wing now. "No!" He replies, his voice several octaves higher, it only takes a couple seconds for him to burst out laughing.

"Okay! Stop! Please! Stop!" He shouts, somehow managing to keep his wings completely still. "Are you going to let me up?" I ask, stopping for a second so he can breathe. "No, you're still weak and you're going to do something stupid if I do." He says after a moment.

Realizing I'm not going to get my way and Gabriel is going to remain stubborn no matter what I do, I return to petting his wing. Not tickling this time, just petting. Imagine the softest thing ever, kinda like koala fur, add a silky quality… multiply by a million… You're still not anywhere close.

Gabriel leans closer to my ear, "Don't think I'm not going to get revenge…" Crap. "On an a side note… Has anybody told you how fucking soft your wings are?" I mutter. "Believe it or not, you're the first. You are, as of now, the only idiot I've had to protect." Am I supposed to feel honored or insulted? _Probably both._ _Nobody asked you, Daisie._

I continue running my fingers through the invisible feathers, silently wishing that I could see them when my stomach decides to interrupt… I wish I could have popcorn. "Popcorn sounds good." Gabe responds. One instant later, we're holding massive buckets of the stuff.

Gabe still has his wings wrapped tightly around me, even as I start sitting up on the bed. I don't really care anymore, I'm comfy. Popcorn for breakfast… Awesome. "So when exactly am I allowed to leave?" I ask, placing a couple popcorn pieces on my tongue.

"You are not allowed to leave the safety of my wings until two days after you are completely healed!" Gabriel declares playfully. "Are you literally taking on the role of 'guardian angel'?" "Who else is going to keep you alive?" "Me?" "Pshh, we both know that is the one thing you are incapable of…"

I roll my eyes at the Archangel. For the first time I take a good look at the place we are currently at… It looks like a hotel, just a lot fancier, four-star, minimum. Everything is accented with sunset orange, fancy furniture, looks almost like one of the rooms on the Titanic. "My own personal safe house, it's in a small pocket dimension!" Oh, so I couldn't rejoin the boys on their hunts even if I could get away from Gabe!

"Yup! Besides, I thought you'd like it here." It is nice… But I still wish I could be with the boys, helping them hunt, possibly implementing my plan to get the pomegranate. "Yeah, well. If it wasn't for my grace you wouldn't have the strength to open your eyes at the moment… No hunts."

That's what felt wrong! I don't have a headache, I'm not dizzy, Not cold, I feel fine! I felt absolutely awful when I gave Sam six pints… I passed out after he had gotten to Nine, Ten? How much did he take? "Ten and a half…" Gabe says, barely able to conceal the anger in his voice, I can feel his wings tightening around me slightly. I place a hand on one of his knees and he relaxes slightly.

"Why do you even want to go back to them anyway? Back to Sam?" Gabe asks, clenching and unclenching his fist. "Because I know that it wasn't Sam… It was all Famine… and partly my fault for ditching you…" And answer simply, returning to the popcorn I almost forgot about.

"So… I'm tethered to your side for the next week so I don't end up dying… Does that include of boredom?" I ask, hoping to change the subject. Gabriel's face lights up and he turns to me with a smirk I know to associate with a bad idea…

"I've been exploring a mortal invention called Tumblr…" Oh, I'm scared! Gabe snaps up several DVDs and just as many just as many, if not more, bottles of alcohol. "I found something called a Supernatural drinking Game!" He announces happily. I raise an eyebrow, "Remember what happened last time we got drunk?"

Gabe loudly rolls his eyes before replacing the Alcohol with an Icee Cup. I'm guessing it's like his popcorn bowls and can never be emptied. "There! Now we get brain freezes instead of Buzzed! Happy?!" He complains, whatever.

I look at the DVDs, sure enough, all of them have pictures of Sam and Dean on the front. 'Supernatural, Starring Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles'. Where did he find this? "An alternate dimension, over there this is all fake, and Fanfiction. I'm played by a handsome devil named Richard, Cassy is called Misha, Luci is Mark, Crowley is also Mark… You get the gist. Oh! Also, Tony doesn't exist, he is part of a separate production line called MARVEL."

We watch this alternate reality's take on the Winchester story… All four and a half seasons of it, apparently the end of season five hasn't come out yet… This is how the story would play out if I had stayed in Hell apparently. I would never encounter the boys after that moment… I like this reality better. Sam and Dean aren't fighting, as much, Bobby can walk, Jesse didn't just vanish to never be heard from again.

The drinking game was awful… Every Time certain words were said, like 'Dude' 'Awesome' 'Sammy' 'Jerk' 'Balls', someone uses Salt, Sam somehow has Wi-fi, Dean eats a sandwich, Etc. we would take at least two gulps. I am extremely glad I said no to the Alcohol, but I regret the awful brain freeze that shows up every five seconds. We finish the first season while playing the game, for some reason I get hooked on this alternate reality and insist that we keep watching without the game.

That's five days… Five days of almost nonstop television. I would have finished sooner but Gabe insisted that I get a decent sleep each night. He was being completely serious about not leaving his wings… It's amazing how much faster I fell asleep compared to any other time. Wrapped in a cocoon of fluff and warmth that smells like candy... it's like my own personal heaven. Well, if hellhounds could have heavens. Maybe if I die for the last time and go to Purgatory I can hunt with my family.

"Yeah, Nope. I'm never gonna let you stay dead 'forever'." "That's, actually quite nice to know… thanks." "No problem." We exchange a smile. There is something behind Gabe's eyes that I can't quite place… Like this is bittersweet to him. I'm about to mention it when he puts on a mask to try and hide it… If he doesn't want to talk then okay, it doesn't seem to be that serious anyway.

"Anyway… they don't have the future in the alternate timeline version of Supernatural, do they?" I ask, my curiosity piqued. "Nope. They've got just about to where we are now." We sit in silence for a few moments before Gabe gets another one of those 'I have a good/bad idea' smirks.

"You wanna play Cards Against Humanity?"

{page break}

 **Don't kill me for having zero originality (Thank you Danisnotonfire, Amazingphil and Tyler Oakley for some of this content)**

After Gabriel explains the rules to me, we divvy up the cards and begin. We have to fill in the blanks on the black cards with phrases from the white ones, and whoever does it in the most funny or offensive way wins the round. The first black card reads, "Next from J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber of _." I look down at my cards, and already I'm off to a crazy start. Gabriel smirks and holds up a card, "Old people smell!" He's smiling like a maniac already. "Oh, I've got something. 'Next from J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber of -Balls-!'"

I sigh. "You can have it. Ewwww…" I imagine Harry walking into the chamber and just being blasted with the smell. Yeah, I wouldn't want that either. By the way, you're welcome for that mental image. The next card just cracks me up. "Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's _."

This game is gonna end badly. Especially with the cards we have. "Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's 'scrubbing under the folds.'" I place the card on the bed between us. Gabe and I both back up a little bit. "Eca." "Oh oh oh! 'Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's 'a gypsy curse.'" Gabe's card catches me off guard. "What, what even…" "Aww, you can have that one." He says. "NOPE, you get that one." "Yeah I get that one, damn straight."

And yet again, our bad luck continues with, "What helps Obama unwind?" Oh shit… oh shit. My card is pretty good. "Cheeky bum sex." But not as good as Gabriel's. "My collection of high tech sex toys." He slaps the card down next to the black one. "OH FUCK. YOU CAN HAVE IT. TAKE IT." I yell, throwing them away.

At least the next black card is a little better. "What is there a lot of in heaven?" I think this one is slightly unfair. _Gabriel already knows!_ _Noted._ At least my card is funny. "Geese." Gabriel smiles at that. "Well, you're not wrong!" "There is an entire heaven just for geese, isn't there." "Yep. My card is 'Winking at old people.'" I stare at him oddly for a moment. "Really? Man, really?" "You can have geese. You can have it. Technically mine's not really correct." "Thank you! I'm taking geese, since I'll never actually find out, myself!" "Ok that's actually kinda depressing." _You depressed an archangel! Achievement unlocked!_ _Shut up._

"During sex, I like to think about _." I don't know and I don't want to know. "Do we have to play these cards? I don't like it." I whine. "Nope, we're playing. Not like we have much else to do." Gabe retorts. You're the one that won't let me leave! I sigh and continue the game. "'During sex, I like to think about 'Morgan Freeman's voice.'" Gabe's card is, once again, placed between us. "Oh, wow…" "Don't we all?" "I don't. I have never had sex, and don't exactly intend to. But my card is 'throwing a virgin into a volcano.'" "... You can have it, Candace." Gabe keeps giving me odd looks as I take my card.

"Why do I hurt all over?" Is the next card. "Because you're an idiot?" Gabe offers, still looking through his cards. "Well thanks, you sure know how to make a girl feel loved." I mutter. "Ok, I got a card. 'Why do I hurt all over?' 'Police brutality.'" "OHHHHHHHH." Gabe yells. "Shit, that's too real. A bit too close to home, actually." "Oh. With Lilith?" "Yeah… I guess she could be considered 'Police'." I whisper. "Sorry. Was that too offensive?" At least he's apologetic. "I'll be fine." I say, pushing away the stupid memory that comes to play. "'Scientology' is my card. But I think you won that round." "Thanks, I guess." Is that a round I should be happy to win?

"What would grandma find disturbing, yet oddly charming?" _How would either of us know? None of us have grandmas._ _NOBODY ASKED YOU._ "Same-sex ice dancing." Gabriel sets the card between us. My card is easily the worst. "'What would Grandma find disturbing, yet oddly charming?' 'Tentacle porn.' I DO NOT LIKE THAT ONE." I think my shouting was heard two dimensions over. "Your point. Enjoy it." Gabriel says. "I will most certainly not." Sorry nonexistent Grandma…

And this last card, is one of the weirdest, and most certainly does not apply to me. "How did I lose my virginity?" Gabe asks with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows. Oh, that will backfire on him. My card is probably illegal in some places on earth, but it works, what with all the Loki legends. "An eight-legged horse." Gabe's smirk fades slightly, but then comes back in full force when he chooses his card.

"In reality? The Pope." _SHIIIIIT_ _._ "FUCK YOU. YOU WIN THIS ROUND." "Well...If you want to…" I throw all the cards up into the air, "You know what?! I'm done! Checkmate. Game finished! You win! I don't even care at this point. Can we please play something else." My tone of voice leaves no room for argument. "Uno or Monopoly?" He asks. "Let's find something fun on the app store." I reply. "No more card games for you."

Gabe brings out an iPhone and we look through the App store. Search- 'party games', (first thing that pops up is truth or dare, which I scroll right on by) and the one that catches my eye is 'The Seven Second Challenge'. "Ooh! Can we play that one?" "I swear it's like working with a small child. Of course." "Yay!"

We download it and as soon as we begin, there's a particularly difficult one for Gabe. "Describe your perfect day in twenty five words, in seven seconds. Go." He pauses for a millisecond, before rattling off, "My brothers are no longer fighting, you are still alive, God has returned home, the world is somewhat peaceful, and the Winchesters stop coming back."...How the Hell did he do that? "I'm gonna say nailed it."

"Your turn, describe me in five words." "Concentrated sass, candy and Awesomeness." "Nailed it." "Ok, touch all the walls in this room. Angel powers don't count." Gabe's eyes widen and he jumps up before managing to touch three out of four walls. "Failed it." "Aww, come on! Ok, Name, and do an example of, five different emotions."

"Fear…Disgust... Anger... Sadness... Joy." I complete easily. Gabe grumply hits the 'nailed it' button. "Don't ever challenge me to something I can associate with Disney…" I warn. "You like Disney movies?" "Guilty pleasure. I especially like Hercules."

Next one is for Gabe. "What are three things you would never get a tattoo of?" "My brothers." Gabe answers with a smirk. "Nailed it by a technicality!" "That is such a major burn." "I know it is. Your turn: Say something really upsetting while doing jazz hands."

I start doing the stupid Jazz hands… What is something that Gabe would find upsetting? "There is no candy left in the universe and I never got the chance to try a Candy Apple." I think he is legitimately about to cry… "Are you ok?" "NO." "Shit, man, sorry… I-" Before I can finish my sentence Gabe shoves a Candy Apple into my mouth and pulls me into a hug.

"Oh, you poor unfortunate soul… Poor poor baby." I hug him back, rather reluctantly. "Ok, I got one for you." I say, grabbing the phone. "What three things would you not save from a fire?" Gabe's response is immediate. "The Winchesters on the 2nd of November, 1983." I glare at him, and he holds up his hands in an 'I surrender' gesture. "No, I'd probably not save the furniture, curtains, and the computer. You do forget I can make more of it…" "Eh, that's true. Ok, I want to play something else now…"

We decide on Uno, despite how terribly our last card game went. Once we deal out the cards, there's that evil smirk on Gabe's face. I don't even want to know. The starting card is a red 6, and it goes quickly from there. Every single one of Gabe's cards is either a +2 or +4 or a wild card, so he won that round. The second round, we begin with a wild card, so I choose blue. Coincidentally, all of Gabe's cards were green, but mine were all blue. I won that round. The score is now 1-1, so this next game is the tie breaker. Beginning with a yellow 3, it takes quite a while for us to finish, because each of us is pulling cards as fast as we're putting them down. Eventually we run out of cards in the 'draw' stack, and Gabe decides to fold. "You won. Enjoy your victory." "Thanks."

I start to feel tired, and start trying to get under the covers. Gabriel doesn't let me and opts for scooping me up in his arms instead, whatever, I'm tired. The last thing I see is Gabe smiling and I feel his soft fluffy wings wrap around me again. It's absolutely amazing how easily I fall asleep like this, and like always… Gabe doesn't let a single nightmare touch me.

{pagebreak}

 **(Third POV)**

The next day...

The Winchesters are on another hunt. There's a group of pagan gods hiding out in a small town, gathering to discuss what to do on the subject of the Judean-Christian apocalypse. The boys are captured and, instead of killing them, the pagan gods decide to use them as bargaining chips. After about an hour of debate, Gabriel allows Candace to leave his protective circle and help them.


	28. Chapter 27

**Candace's POV:**

Gabriel zaps us to a room right outside where all the other gods are. _**Let me handle this, Understand?**_ _I trust you… Sure._ Gabe swings open the door, "Can't we all just get along?" He asks the entire group of deities. Judging by their looks they all recognise him. "Gab-" Dean starts to say, but Gabe waves his hand, making the boys lose their voice.

I bounce up and pat them on the shoulders, "Hush boys, Grown ups are talking." I say. I'm in a room of very powerful beings and they are all acting like it… Well, when in Rome… Sam gives me a look, silently apologizing. I pat him on the shoulder once more in silent forgiveness.

"Sam… Dean…. It's always wrong place, worst time with you muttonheads, huh?" Gabriel asks rhetorically. I shrug my shoulder, "Well, duh! It's the Winchesters." I say rolling my eyes. _**You're not much better.**_ _Oh, Shut up._

"Loki." "Baldr." Oh, I forgot he goes by Loki sometimes… "It's good seeing you too! I guess my invitation got lost in the mail…" Gabe, er, Loki says. "You weren't invited… nor was your newest slut." A woman with the name tag reading 'Kali' retorts, glaring at me.

My previous somewhat respectful facade drops. I conjure a single flame of Hellfire and make it speed past her. The size and speed I make it, makes it look like a little bullet out of fire. She moves her head slightly to avoid the flame but it's hot enough to leave a scorch mark on her cheek. "I am not, nor ever will be, Loki's slut." I growl, my voice then turns sickly sweet, "Oh, and sweetie, don't talk about me like I'm not in the room. It's disrespectful."

"Oh! You wound me!" Loki exclaims. "Get over yourself." I mutter, rolling my eyes. "Why are you here?" Baldr interrupts. I roll my eyes, "Why are any of us here? Stopping the Apocalypse, ah dur." G- Loki looks at me, "Don't talk like that… It's disrespectful." "Pot, Kettle."

Gabe rolls his eyes, "Anyway…" He turns to the boys, "The adults need to have a little conversation… Check you later." He says, snapping his fingers and the boys disappear to a room downstairs. I sit on one of the tables, ignoring the glares I get.

"Now Kali, or is it pronounced Kalie? Keali? Kale? Anyway," I wave off, ignoring her glare and the other gods chuckle, "Talking to Luci and Mike won't work. I don't know about Mikey but Grandad is way too stubborn for that. But violence isn't the answer either… Especially since Archangels can't be killed!" I announce.

They all look at me weird after the 'Grandad' comment but I just keep talking, "It's a family thing… We're all immortal, we can be 'killed' per se, but we will never stay that way. We'll come back after a little while. We can be killed but we can't die… If that makes any sense."

"Everything can die." Kali spits. I roll my eyes, "It's in one ear out the other… Yes, that's true! But my family will never stay that way!" Within half a second Kali is holding a silver blade up to my throat. I just start laughing, "Hey Mercury! If I die, where would I go?" I ask, not even fazed by the blade that couldn't kill me anyway. _**What happened to letting me handle this?**_ _Trust me for a second._

"According to my beliefs, as you are not mortal, you would go to Tartarus." The god says quietly. Wow, he is very different from his Greek counterpart. "And I've already been there more than a hundred times… finding the door out will be easy, and I know people that would open it on this side… If _I_ have connections like that, how connected do you think the Archangels are?"

Kali slowly backs up, seeing my point. "Then what do you suggest we do?" She snaps. "We have a plan, but you'd have to trust us. I don't see that happening, especially with you holding a knife to my throat. But the first thing I would suggest is releasing the boys from that binding spell…" I say.

"Why?!" "Because they are the vessels! The Archangels have a connection with their vessels, while they may not be able to find the boys because of the Enochian, they _will_ be able to tell that they are bound to you. And they _can_ track you." I'm bluffing completely, I have no idea if this is true or not. _**It is.**_ _Well, How long do we have until Luci and Mike show up?_ _ **Luci is the only one with a Temporary vessel, Mikey is still in heaven. But about five minutes.**_ _Yay, doomsday._

"You're bluffing." Kali declares. "No, I'm not. We have five minutes until Lucifer shows up." I announce. The gods in the room start zapping out, one after the other, Kali however, remains stubborn. "I'm not releasing them…" The room starts to shake and even more gods disappear, the cowards. Only when the room is in a full blown earthquake does Kali seem to accept my words.

"Okay! Fine!" Kali yells over the rumbling, pulling two vials of blood out of her bag and smashing them. Only the rumbling doesn't stop. "He already knows where we are!" I growl. _**We need a plan...Now!**_ "Okay! Ga- Loki, you get the Winchesters outta here… then come back." I order, then turning to Kali and Baldr, the only gods who stayed.

"This is what we are going to do…"

Lucifer's POV:

I appear into the top floor of this fancy hotel in the middle of nowhere. The first thing I notice is Candace lounging on a chair, twirling a dagger in her hand. One side silver, the other Stygian Iron. She must have gotten a new one, it suits her.

"Took you long enough… I was starting to think you weren't coming." She says, not even looking up. "Traffic was slow." I comment, walking closer. She gives a half-laugh, something on her mind keeping her from openly laughing. "But I wouldn't miss this, I have an appointment with the Winchesters. I wasn't expecting you here though."

She shrugs, "I'm full of surprises." She says, before lunging forward with her blade, which I easily stop in it's tracks. "Sorry Luci. It would seem I've taken a liking to the Winchester boys." She says. I hate that nickname. I suppose I can make an exception for her though. "I don't blame you, they're extremely handsome." I reply. "Oh, I'm not here for them. I have a plan to stop this whole apocalypse. Don't worry, it'll be painless for almost everyone." She sends a wave of Holy fire towards me, and I have to release the dagger and jump back.

"I don't want to fight you, Candy" I say, getting out my own blade. She seems to relax slightly, "Good, I don't want to fight you either… So I brought friends." She says and three people come through the door. Two pagans, Kali and Baldr, along with my little 'brother' Gabriel.

"I know that we can't kill you, I don't want to anyway… So stalling you until the boys are out of the state is the best way to go." Candy says, igniting a circle of Holy fire that spreads all the way around the room. She was able to think this all through, within the five or so minutes she had after she realized I was coming for Sam…

This is one of the reasons I love my granddaughter. She isn't an idiot. Then there is also the fact she is part of a species I made on my own. Sure, I created Demons! But all I was doing was taking Dad's slime and making it more powerful… Hellhounds? Candace? That was all me, and Candy has quickly become my favorite out of the lot.

"Don't play dumb… I know you had him zap them quite far away from here…" I say, gesturing with my head towards Gabriel. She just shrugs, "Extra distance can't hurt. I-" "Can we get this over with?!" Kali exclaims, interrupting Candy. Oh, you should show some respect.

Candy rolls her eyes, "What is it with Pagans and being impatient? We're talking!" "Yeah, with the enemy!" Wow, this Pagan is annoying. "No, I'm talking to family that so happens to have a different opinion than me… Not my enemy." Candy argues.

Kali seems to have reached the end of her rope and lunges at me, trying to stab me. I easily dodge her blade then deflect Gabriel's. I almost forgot he was here, he's been so uncharacteristically quiet. Whatever plan Candy has thought up doesn't sit well, it seems. Candace's knife darts in and out of my view, Kali isn't the best at fighting- odd, as she's a goddess of destruction- and Gabe and I are almost evenly matched. Baldr doesn't even try, a god of peace after all.

Everyone's moving so fast, at inhuman speeds, that everything seems to blur together. I feel a hand on my shoulder- Kali was standing behind me, I remember- so I turn around and stab her in the gut. Only, it's not Kali.

Both of Candy's hands wrap around the silver Archangel blade I have pushed into her gut. "Heh… We'll ain't that ironic…" She wheezes, her voice strained. "I was going to tell you that the boys were probably far enough away now… That we didn't have to fight anymore…" She laughs weakly, falling to the ground.

No, no, no, no! I move to heal her but she is already dissolving into golden dust, the backpack she was wearing is already gone. No, what have I done? Why does this always happen?! I start to care about someone and then I end up hurting them! Why? Why? Why? Why?

Eventually I'm not holding Candy in my arms… There is nothing but golden dust…Golden Dust! She will eventually reform and come back! And when she does I'm not going to hurt her ever again… I'm not going to be like my father and let her fend for herself… Nothing will ever hurt my sweet little girl… My Candy.

{page break}

Candace's POV:

That worked better than I expected it too. I landed in Tartarus, like I wanted. To bad I landed _in_ the Phlegethon. I scramble out of the blazing river as quickly as I can. That river is the only fire that can burn me… And I must say, being burned is my least favorite thing ever. Even Iron is slightly easier to endure. I think I understand how Obadiah felt when I torched him.

I pull off the backpack that Gabe snapped up for me right before Luci stabbed me. Inside is everything I might need down here… Ambrosia, Nectar, I left my dagger with Gabe, I don't want to lose it down here…

I travel to the highest point of Tartarus, avoiding all of the other monsters. Once I get there I start calling in one of the favors I'm owed. "Hey! Thanatos! I'm calling in that Favor!" I shout into the black sky.

It barely takes a couple seconds before, right in front of me, the God of Death fades into existence before me. It will always strike me how much the phrase 'Angel of Death' will fit Thanatos. Black wings and overpowering aura that seems to promise a trip to the afterlife. If I hadn't met an actual angel and cupid before… I would assume that he was one of them instead of a God.

"It has been awhile since we have last spoken, Ms. Armina." Thanatos says respectfully. I nod my head, "It has." I agree. "I need to call in that favor… I need you to raise me out of Tartarus and into Hades' palace." I announce. Thanatos seems to think for a minute.

"When you first released me from Sisyphus' icy chains I made you a similar offer, to raise you from Tartarus and onto the surface… Why did you refuse back then but ask the same of me now?" He asks, landing on the ground and folding up his wings behind him.

"Back then it wouldn't have made a difference… I would go to the surface only to be met with...L- _her_ … Now, I need to get something from Hades and back to the surface as fast as possible." I respond, still having trouble saying her name.

Thanatos nods shallowly, before grabbing my arm and flying upwards to the edge of the pit, letting me go… "That is the way to Hades' palace, I now consider my debt repaid… Try not to fail, I'm already backed up, and the Apocalypse isn't going to help with that." Thanatos says, disappearing. He kinda reminded me of a heartless businessman.

I hike my way up from the edge of the pit to the airport style entrance to the Fields of Punishment, Elysium, Etc. I ignore the line completely and head over to where Uncle Cerberus is standing guard. "Uncle." I acknowledge respectfully.

I may not be very respectful to authority, but I've always looked up to Cebby, my parents and my older siblings, excluding Luca… He is just annoying. Cerberus smiles, "Candace… It's been awhile." He replies. "Well… I've been busy." I reply.

Cebby huffs, obviously not believing me, but I don't feel like explaining to my uncle I couldn't come visit because I was on a very tight leash. "Right… I take it you're here because you need something and not because you want to visit family?"

I raise my arms in surrender, "You got me… I need to get into the palace." I say, even though they are dead, all of the souls in line are able to recognise the oddity that is our conversation. Mostly because we aren't using words. We are talking in a series of growls, barks, and nose twitches.

Cebby gets up and moves slightly, allowing me to walk behind him and towards the palace. "You better come visit! And congratulations on the promotion! I know it's not easy to go from Beta to Alpha." Cebby calls. "Thank you! And I will!" With that, I walk slowly towards Hades' Throne Room.

The obsidian-colored walls all have random paintings and murals. All of which depict some sort of violent death or massacre. Nothing really grosses me out anymore… But these are still gross. The pillars and ceilings all openly show their Greek influence.

I walk up to the door to the throne room, which depicts a just as grotesque scene. I knock once and wait, only opening the door after I receive a very emotionless "Come in." I slowly walk through the doorway, and, even though I've been here before, I'm still intimidated. Greek fire blazes in all the torches and braziers, more obsidian pillars and walls, It's gorgeous.

"Lord Hades, it's a pleasure to see you again." My wavering voice rings out. The whole room is designed so perfectly that I could drop a needle on one side of the room and hear it on the other. I slowly walk up to the throne, bowing before him and a grumpy looking Persephone. It would seem that she just got back to the underworld.

"Rise…" Hades sighs, "This is what? The millionth time you've been down here? I thought monsters try harder than this to not die… You seem to welcome it." He grumbles. It always amazes me how God-like he will act one second and how much he seems like a normal being the next.

"Well… This will be the only time I _try_ to come down here…" I say, still keeping my head slightly down. "I'm going to be blunt… I'm doing a binding ritual, and I need a pomegranate from Lady Persephone's garden." Hades glances at his wife, who seems happy just to be mentioned. "That's alright. Come with me, we can walk out together."

I follow the spring goddess out to the garden, her husband not too far behind. "You know… There is only one binding that involves one of my Pomegranates…" Persephone points out. "Yeah… Well, I can't seem to think of anything else that would stop my Grandfather's stupid fight with Michael…" I reply, the gardens are beautiful!

There are hundreds of flowers, each one just as beautiful as the last. The smell of each flower is intoxicating. All of which pale in comparison to the tempting Pomegranate tree in the middle of the garden. "You could always throw them back into the cage…" Hades points out.

"Temporary solution to a permanent problem… This method is just as eternal as I am." I say. We walk up to the tree, I have to shake my head constantly to keep myself from reaching forward and grabbing one of the fruits.

"This way is also the most risky… You know the rules?" Persephone asks. I nod, "Anyone is allowed to take one… Only those strong enough to resist its temptation will be able to keep it and not get trapped in the underworld forever…" I say.

Hades pats my shoulder, "Well, if you fail, I'm sure Cerberus would be glad to have some company guarding the gate." I don't see how that is silver lining… I slowly reach forward and take a single Pomegranate, my limbs almost moving on their own… It smells so good… Just a taste couldn't hurt right?

I shake my head clear of the trance and place the fruit into my backpack. "Thank you, Lord Hades, Lady Persephone." I say, bowing once again to the two gods. "Think nothing of it, you stopping the Apocalypse is going to save me from a lot of paperwork." Hades says, "Good luck."

I bow once more before retreating from the palace. I walk back out past Cerberus, thanking him for his "Good luck." and out towards Charon's ferry. With each step I take the Pomegranate seems to get heavier and heavier. The intoxicating smell gets stronger and stronger.

I reach the ferry where Charon is begrudgingly letting off another wave of passengers. "Mr. Charon!" I call, remembering how he feels about the 'Mr.'. He turns to me for a moment, "And you are?" Finally! Someone who doesn't know me by, 'The hellhound' 'the one who's always dying' or 'Tony Stark's Roommate'!

"Someone willing to pay for a ride." I answer. "How much?" I take off my backpack, Gabriel messed with it to make it one of those bottomless ones, anything I need will just pop up to the top. I reach in, using all of my willpower to keep myself from grabbing the Pomegranate.

"Twenty Drachmas." I say, bringing out the girl scout cookie sized golden coins. Charon greedily licks his lips, "I'm not sure…" He pushes, I throw on a face of false fear… "I don't have much else! I mean… I stole this suit from John Wilkes Booth's afterlife but I was planning on giving that to my son for his Prom!" I mutter to myself, knowing that he can hear me.

"Give me the suit and the Drachmas and I'll take you to the surface." Charon declares. I solemnly give him the items, silently cursing myself when I get another whiff of the Pomegranate. I get on the ferry and Charon brings me to the surface, eventually I am no longer in a boat but a elevator.

The doors open to the lobby of DOA recording studio. I get out of the elevator and start heading to the door, Charon stops me, "While I do appreciate the stuff… Can't you Shadow Travel in and out of the underworld?" He asks.

I legitly cannot stop myself from facepalming. "I'm such an idiot…" I mutter before looking back up at him, "I only recently learned how… I guess I forgot about it…" I say. _**Yeah… But how did I forget as well?!**_ _I see the link works now that I'm back on the surface. How long was I gone anyway?_ _ **Two weeks. Sam said Yes and Mike brought back the brother… Adam.**_ _Where are you?_ _ **Stull Cemetery, Kansas.**_

I give Charon a salute and shadow travel to the cemetery.

 **[A/N: I realize this is a somewhat evil place to leave you, but it's either this ending or the one for the next chapter which is ten times more evil]**


	29. Chapter 28

**DO NOT KILL ME! PLEASE!**

 **DO NOT KILL ME! I LIKE LIFE!**

I appear under a tree where Luci in Sam's body is arguing with a guy. I'm guessing that is Michael/Adam. I jump in between them and snap my fingers, creating a circle of Holy fire around each of them. Looks like they are trapped here.

"Candy!" Lucifer exclaims in relief. "I'm back!" I say all dramatically. "Who're you?" Mike asks. I roll my eyes and ignore him. "Thanks for killing me by the way… Helped immensely!" I say. Luci's face is hilarious, "You… Wanted me to kill you?"

"Yup… How else was I supposed to get to the underworld?" I ask. "Shadow travel?" "I'm far too lazy for that. Besides, I needed to get something from Lady Persephone's garden. Didn't want to waste my energy for the big event." Realization crawls across Mikey's face.

 _Gabe, everything good to go?_ Gabe shows up beside me with all of the ingredients. _**I'm going to leave the vessels behind until we are sure this is going to work… Don't want them to suddenly have a new and indestructible vessel.**_ _Fair enough._

This is when Luci understands, "You aren't going to…" "Bind you two idiots? Yes." I answer. I take the items from Gabe, Crushing up the Bones and mixing them with the blood from the Winchesters. "You really don't want to do this…" Michael says.

"Why are you even bothering? She's more stubborn than me." Lucifer rolls his eyes. "One of your children?" Mike asks dryly. "Granddaughter." "Figures, only your children would be so reckless as to try and bind us." "Try? Bitch please, I'm gonna succeed."

I open my backpack again and pull out the Pomegranate. It still looks delicious… _**You really don't want to eat that.**_ _I agree with the angel._ I shake myself out of the trance and add the fruit to the mix, happy that its temptation is gone.

 _ **Okay, now repeat after me… Ex ossibus mortuorum.**_ "Ex ossibus mortuorum," "You really don't want to do this…" _**Et fortissimum robore tentatio**_ "Et fortissimum robore tentatio," _**pomum ligni vetiti alligabit**_ "Pomum ligni vetiti alligabit" "Please don't do this…" _**Michaelis Archangeli Lucifero**_ "Michaelis Archangeli Lucifero."

As I finish the spell the entire field seems to start glowing and my skin starts to feel like I'm burning- feels like when I fell in the Phlegethon, only a million times worse. All of my senses being overwhelmed with a burning yet powerful sensation. It takes everything I have to keep myself conscious so that the circle of holy fire doesn't go out. I try to go to the ground but an invisible force keeps me standing.

I don't know how long it takes… Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Days? I wouldn't be surprised if I stay there for years. Eventually the sensation stops, just as quickly as it started. My knees buckle and I tumble to the ground. I just sit there and pant for a moment, trying to catch my breath. When I look up again, I'm stunned by what I see. Lucifer's six wings are at least 20 feet across, spread out, and a bright, sparkly pink. Michael's six are at least as big, if not bigger, and a pearlescent white.

"I think it worked…" I mutter, just staring at them for a moment. "Ya think?" Gabe says, letting me lean on him as I get back up. "Oh, shut up." "Nah." I laugh, relieved. Too weak to keep it up, I let the Holy fire dissipate. Immediately, Mike lunges forward holding his knife to my neck. I just chuckle, "Back up, please." I say.

He reluctantly backs up. "Now, I only have a few things I want you to do… Stop fighting and get along." I say simply. "The apocalypse isn't gonna happen." This is when Dean decides to drive up. He steps out of the car and looks at me with concern. "You're kinda late to the party." I comment. "And you're alive…" I wave it off.

"That's old news! The most important thing right now is that the Apocalypse is Indefinitely postponed." "Candace, what did you do?" For once, he looks genuinely concerned. "Luci, why don't you tell him?" Luci looks like he swallowed something extremely sour.

"She… Bound us." He spits. "I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you." Now I'm just messing with him. "I will kill you slowly." "No you won't." Dean's face shows a mix of shock and confusion. "Bound… Like, 'I order you to', bound?" "Yup. Mikey here too. No more Apocalypse."

"Yeah, no more Apocalypse, just a Hellhound that has been manipulating us to become more powerful!" Dean yells. "It all makes sense! Getting Sam addicted to Hound blood, something even stronger then Demon! You insisting that we kill Lilith! It all makes sense!"

My happy mood from success drops… "I just saved your ass, as well as all 8 billion people on this planet, and all you are concerned about is that I lied to you and tried to make myself more powerful? Where the fuck do your priorities lie?" I growl.

 _Bring the vessels._ Gabe snaps his fingers and the two bodies we made show up. "If I truly was just in it for myself, why would I have made sure that these two couldn't use you and Sam?! Why would I have gone through the trouble of _making_ empty vessels?!" I ask. Giving the Archangels a glance, silently ordering them to get in the vessels.

Sam and Adam come back to themselves, Luci and Mike now using the vessels that look like a younger John and Luci's old vessel Mike. "Can I kill him now?" Luci asks me. "No, I just want to ask you… If I truly didn't care, about you and your brothers… Why would I bother saving you? If I didn't care I would just let these two use you as Vessels, but I'm not."

"If I didn't care, I wouldn't have worked so hard to make sure that you escaped the hotel… If you don't believe me, fine. Whatever. I'm not lying to you. The reason I didn't tell you about my plan from the get-go is valid, it seems. I'm a monster, just what I was born as… You and Sam were raised hunters… Guess it's just fate that we will never trust each other, Oh wait! That's what I've been trying to prove doesn't exist this whole time!"

I turn to Adam and Sam, who haven't said a single word since they got free. "Welcome back." I say. I look at the Archangels, "No Killing, maiming, or wounding of any kind… Physically. And let Adam go back to heaven, he's earned it after all this shit." I then use the absolute last of my energy to shadow travel to Tony Stark's living room.

This day has gone south quickly… Perhaps, I could finally confess to Tony? That would lift my spirits. I drag myself down the stairs to the Lab where Tony is sure to be. I get down there to see him getting into his Ironman suit… He notices me, "Good! You're here! Justin Hammer has a whole bunch of killer robots that are going to hurt a lot of people at the Expo! Suit up!"

Of course… Why not? I'm only completely exhausted! Should I tell him about the crazy day I've had? "What are you waiting for?! Suit up!" I'm guessing this is important… It can wait. I put on the new boots, gloves and headset that have obviously had even _more_ upgrades since I last wore them. What can they do now? Time travel?

I follow Tony to the Stark Expo. Once there I see a bunch of robots and what looks like another Ironman suit. Along with thousands of people who are all snapping photos of me… Well, great, I just exposed my secret identity didn't I? It's pandemonium- drones flying everywhere, nobody doing anything to stop them, people running in a panic. It's all the thrill of the chase. I torch one of the drones that comes too close to the crowd, and focusing on the others, willing them to overheat.

I find burning each one of them much harder than it should be, I'm extremely drained from the binding and shadow traveling across the US. _Don't suppose you could give me a boost?_ _ **Why am I always picking up your messes? I'm not some college Janitor!**_ _Can you or can you not?_ _ **You've absorbed so much energy today… Any more and you will literally self-combust, but I can give you just enough for this fight…**_ _Thank you!_

Destroying the robots is still difficult, but not impossible. The second Iron Man suit starts chasing Tony around. "Tony, I'm locked in!" Wait… Is that Rhodey?! I immediately stop heating up that suit. "Why are you attacking Tony?" I ask, flying alongside them, knocking out all of the other drones.

"Hacked." "Well, awesome! Tony, you should probably fix that…" I comment. "Yeah, noted. Why are you in such a testy mood? If you're back doesn't that mean you stopped the Apocalypse?" Tony asks. I angrily destroy the next drone, "Yeah, I just saved the world, got yelled at for it and now I have to clean up one of your messes, Sorry I'm a bit testy at the moment!"

In a fit of barely controlled anger about a dozen drones explode at once. "Jesus, woman! Chill!" Rhodes shouts. "One, that is a terrible pun and two, don't bring my extremely extended family into this. Now tell me, where is the motherfucker who started this mess? I'm gonna roast him, slowly."

"His name is Ivan Vanko, He is the one who built these drone." Tony offers. Oh, so that is whose smell is all over each of these drones… Cause I know It's not Hammer. I sniff the air for a second… "I'ma find this motherfucker."

I change direction mid air and race in the direction I smell him. I find this man getting into his own version of the Ironman suit. Seriously? Why have all of Tony's enemies decided his own creation is the best way to kill him? Before he can finish getting into the suit I brand his face and snap his neck… I'm just done with today.

"Big bad is dead." I say into my headset. "Yeah… Well, the drones are still active! They've all gathered in the garden in the dome…" Tony says… Apparently he has no idea what the buildings are called at his own Expo, Whatever.

I fly to where they are fighting all of the robots, Rhody is back on our side is would seem. I focus once again on overheating all the drones. I can feel what little energy I have left leaving me- I can't keep this up for much longer. The remaining drones self combust at my command and I collapse in the river. "It's over." "You okay?" Tony asks, crouching down to where I've collapsed, "Just peachy." I let my eyes close, can I take a nap now?

Apparently not… All around me the suits start beeping. "Are we surrounded by bombs?" I ask dryly. I don't get an answer, just the two of them starting to fly off. I'll take that as a yes. I push myself up and follow Rhodey, Tony turns around to get Pepper.

I follow Rhodey to where he lands on a roof, I then sit down beside him. "This has been a long day." I pant. "I can imagine… Do you still have that crush on Tony?" Rhodes asks, randomly. Where did that come from? Right after a battle and that is the first thing he asks?! I guess we never really got close, this is the only topic he can think of. I look at him for a second before resting my head in my hand, exhausted. "I was that obvious?" "To everyone except Tony."

"Nah, he knew. Talked to me about it too. I said that neither of us were ready… I think we are now." I explain simply. _**I'm going to close the link for a little while…**_ _Everything okay?_ _ **I'm fine… Just don't feel like listening at the moment.**_ _Okay, whatever._

"So when are you going to tell him?" Rhodes asks, seemingly nervous. "The next time I can catch him alone." I answer. This is when Tony and Pepper land on this roof. They proceed to have a fast paced conversation that I can barely keep up with.

Pepper quits her job. Tony asks why. She makes excuses. Tony demands she stops making excuses, I really don't even try to keep up with their conversation. Apparently Pepper got promoted and now she is starting to realize that CEO is a stressful job.

I do however, pay attention when Tony pulls her in for a kiss… I- I'm too late… How was I such an Idiot?! He already told me… oh so long ago, while we were walking in the desert, that he had feelings for Pepper! I guess he was never mine to lose.

I can feel my heart breaking, shattering into a million pieces, tears start streaming down my face and I feel Rhodey lay a hand on my shoulder. I don't process it though. They pull apart, "Weird." "No it's not!" Tony starts moving closer again and I have to interrupt.

"I think it's very weird!" I comment and they both turn to me and Rhodes. "Like two seals fighting over a grape." He agrees, trying to make me crack a smile. Tony barely glances over me. Not noticing the tears, the pain or the sorrow that's written all over my face. I feel my heart shatter just a little more.

He just broke my heart… And he doesn't even notice. I give them my best fake smile, knowing that it's not at all convincing, it somehow convinces Tony though… "I'm happy for you two… I'll give you some privacy." And with that I blast off into the air.

And then I fly. I fly, fly and fly some more. No direction in mind, just away. I fly over mountains, rivers, valleys. I keep flying until the battery in my rocket boots runs out. I crash into the ground, hard. Ignoring my extremely sore muscles I get up and start shadow traveling…

I jump three times to random locations before my already low energy store runs out. So I transform into a furred wolf and run… ignoring the agony each step puts me through… I just run. I vaguely notice that I have to push myself through some magic barrier and keep running.

My legs finally give out under me and I tumble off of this fist shaped hill and into an Ice cold river. Why? Why can't I be happy? Why do the Winchesters, people I view as brothers, hate me? Why does the person I've fallen in love for not feel the same? Why did I stupidly make all of the choices that would lead me here? What choices did I make that lead me here? How could I mess everything up so badly? What did I do to never deserve happiness?!

In a small fit of adrenaline and rage I breath fire, straight up into the sky. I create a column of Dragon, Holy, Greek, and Hell's fire, all of which are shining different colors. I stay like that until I can no longer create fire… 'Til I have absolutely no strength left.

And there, alone, helpless, soaking wet, freezing, without the strength to move, without a single reason to, I lay. I lay in this freezing cold river, in the middle of a forest, in the middle of nowhere, asking myself what I did wrong. There… I cry.

 _The world seems to burn… I'm watching it burn._

 _I hope that you burn._

 _Gabriel?_ When he doesn't respond a new wave of fear and tears washes over me. That's right. He's gone… I really am, Alone. I should have known it would end up like this… it always does and always will. Hell spawn aren't meant to find happy ever after

I lay there and cry until there are no more tears to shed, until the water no longer feels cold. I lay there until I just feel numb. I cry until I can't anymore. Without the strength to do anything else, I fall asleep. And this isn't the first time this thought has entered my head… but it's the first time I've felt like this while it did…

Who ever said that pain is better than nothing at all… Is an idiot. This is worse than anything _she_ could ever come up with… Who ever thought, that my own mistakes, and the betrayal of those I loved… would be the worst demon of all.

Sometimes… I wish I wasn't Immortal.

 **DO NOT KILL ME!**

 **DO NOT KILL ME!**

 **DO NOT KILL ME!**

 **I PROMISE I'LL MAKE IT BETTER!**

 **DO NOT KILL ME! PLEASE!**

 **DO NOT KILL ME!**


	30. Chapter 29

**Nico's POV:**

I sit beside Candace in the Hospital room of the big house. Quickly reading through the next chapter of Rogue Hound that was just published, trying to understand why we found her in the forest last night, badly wounded, passed out in the river by Zeus' Fist.

It doesn't take me long to get my answer. The seven were in here at one point, I'm the only one who stayed. They all only know her from the books, I know her from Hades knows how long in Tartarus. It would seem my assumption about Tony was right… This is one of the only times I've hated being right.

She starts to stir and slowly wakes up, no emotion displayed on her face. "Hey." I whisper. Her head turns toward me. "Nico… Where am I?" Candace probably doesn't remember most of what happened last night. I would honestly try to forget. "How much do you remember?" I ask, handing her a glass of nectar.

The others were afraid of how her body would react to the drink of gods, but after time with her in Tartarus I learned that it affects monsters the same way it does us, they can just take more of it without exploding. She glances at the book beside me, knowing that I know everything that happened.

"I remember stopping the Apocalypse, losing my brothers, saving Tony, Tony…" She trails off, "I passed out in a river, then I woke up here. Did I miss anything?" She snaps. "No." I say lowly. She huffs before sitting up in the bed, trying to get up. "Wait! You're hurt! You should rest!" I exclaim.

She just gives me a look, one I've seen way too many times from others, "Do you really think that I'm just going to sit around? Even for a second?" Gods, I wish Gabriel was here, I'm pretty sure he is the only one in the universe that can get her to take care of herself. "Just help me up. I wanna get a look around camp. You still need to introduce me to your friends, remember?" I don't think I'm strong enough to help her up on my own, so I call in reinforcements. "Will? Can you give me a hand?" I'm just waiting for the inevitable pun now. "Yeah, I _will_ give you a hand."

"Oh! God- er, Gods, That's almost worse than 'World war _nun_!" Candace exclaims. I roll my eyes at her before introducing them, "Will, this is Candace, A friend who saved my life several times, Candace this is Will, my…" I trail off, still ever so slightly embarrassed. "Boyfriend?" She asks, with a small half smile. "Yeah."

"Hey! You know I'm not one to judge! I'm a Hellhound that had a crush on Tony Stark, got rejected and flirted with an idiot of a woman _because_ she was a bitch. I have no _right_ to judge." She says, "It's nice to meet you, Will. Now help me up!" She demands.

We take her around camp, introducing her to everyone. Starting with Annabeth, who was already at the big house. "How does one forget that they can Shadow Travel?" Annabeth asks, "I'm not sure… Probably because Gabriel always Zaps me everywhere."

As we go around camp everyone asks their own question, then follow behind us. It doesn't take long to introduce her to everyone. Calypso immediately gave Candace a hug, understanding. Leo, the idiot, challenges her to a flame-off. It's a good thing that she is too weak at the moment, Leo would get his ass kicked.

Jason asked which one would be faster, her boots or him. They promised to find out once her boots charge. Frank immediately turned into a wolf and challenged her to a race, which they had to put a rain check on. Again, he is going to get his ass kicked.

Hazel immediately started bedazzling Hellfire with rubies. Piper is apparently the only decent person out of the lot, beside Calypso- she asks Candace if there's anything she can do, and promises Candace a makeover. All of us start heading towards the mess hall when lunch is announced.

We all sit down at the same table, Chiron had this one added for the Seven and a few others… A neutral table not claimed by any god or goddess. That way we stopped making the gods angry when we all tried to sit next to each other.

I end up on one side of Candace, Will is on the other side and we both help her stay sitting upright. Everyone at the table is insisting that she eats more than the single chicken nugget she consumed. How does Gabe keep her fed when she refuses to eat? Eventually we manage to get her to eat a cheeseburger. That's how… He just gives her, her favorite foods and she eats without realizing it.

"Why does Lucifer call you Candy?" Percy asks. She shrugs, "I don't know! Apparently as my grandfather he gets nickname privileges! He doesn't care when I call him Luci." Annabeth brings up an important question, "If Lucifer is your Grandfather, does that make God, with a capital 'G' your great grandfather?"

We all think about that for a moment… "I guess so. Does that make me a legacy?" She asks, we all have no clue. "I mean… You guys call yourselves… Demigods, I guess I'm an Octigod?" We all start chuckling. Leo keeps the joke going, "Hello, I am Candace Armina, Octigod of God!"

For the first time since she's gotten here, Candace laughed. "Does that also make me a Quadrangel?" "Yep." "Annabeth Chase, always answering the important questions." She gives Candace the biggest smile, the kind that just lights up the room.

That is when Drew decides to come over and plop herself right across from Candace. "So… You're Candace Armina aren't you? You finally hook up with Tony or did he step on your heart like the entire world knew he would?" If Candace was strong enough at that moment, Drew would be a pile of ashes. Her hair did catch on fire though.

Candace immediately stands up and walks over to Mr. D. She comes back after a couple minutes and grabs a glass. "Gabe's secret 'get drunk now' recipe." She says and the glass fills itself with a clear liquid, which she downs and refills.

Drew looks at her with surprise, "You got Mr. D to get rid of the Alcohol restriction?!" "Oh, it's not for you… I'm as old as he is, if not older. Go back and drink your grape juice." She says, having another drink. Drew rushes forward, "You don't have a single wrinkle!" "I'm not sure if you heard, but I'm a hellhound. I don't take shit from _demons_ like you."

Candace's voice then drops to a really low whisper, "I may not have enough strength to kill you right now, but I promise you, if you don't leave me alone this instant, the things I will put you through will make _her_ look like a saint and put Gabriel's creativity to shame… Now back off." Clearly her words had an effect on Drew, because she backs away slowly. It's not that big of a surprise… Even the others at this table are shivering.

"If you're trying to make up for killing, threatening to kill isn't the way to go!" Drew says, running away. "If you're trying to look like a fashionable and beautiful daughter of Aphrodite, that mop you call a haircut and mismatched outfit aren't the way to go… But you don't hear me saying anything, do you?" Candace says, downing the rest of her drink.

The entire mess hall burst out laughing, and I take away the cup before Candace can get drunk. She grumbles but doesn't complain. "Anyway…" Piper says, looking quite happy about Drew being burned. "One things has been bothering me… What are Lucifer and Michael doing now?"

"Well, because of the binding neither of them will be accepted in heaven, they both hate Hell… I guess they are probably on earth trying to find something entertaining to do, since they can't kill or fight." Candace says, eating some of the french fries we placed in front of her.

"Like annoy you?" A voice calls out from behind us. Candace doesn't even turn around, "I deal with Gabe on a day-to-day basis, I don't think much can really, really annoy me at this point. But it might be entertaining to see you try… Luci." Yay. The actual literal Christian devil is standing behind us.

"I think I'm done eating for now." Candace stands up. Will and I follow her, and the rest of the Seven, as well as Lucifer and Michael, leave the mess hall with us. Candace seems to randomly walk, with no real destination in mind.

"What do you guys do for fun around here?" Candace asks, still walking aimlessly. "Sparring." "Too weak." "Climbing wall." "Same problem." "Canoeing/Swimming." "Don't know how to swim." Percy stops in his tracks. Oh no. "You don't know how to swim?" He asks slowly, like he can't comprehend the words. "Percy, no…" "It's too late, he's already ranting."

Percy's big speech about how swimming is a fundamental of living happily is too fast for any of us to catch, but Candace seems to understand. "Yeah, well, It's never been an issue. I could probably swim in my hound form but I am far too tired to find out."

"It takes you a day to heal after losing six pints of blood… Why is it taking you so long to become functional this time?" Will asks. Lucifer gains a look of confusion, "Why did you lose six pints of blood?" Oh no. This won't end well. Candace shrugs like it's no big deal, "I gave it to Sam. It's nothing compared to that time with Famine… Lost ten that time." "Ten and a half." Annabeth cuts in.

Candace rolls her eyes, "As for your question, Will. That is physical wounds, exhaustion, Etc. Right now I am… I guess spiritually is the word… exhausted. At the moment I am physically fine… It's my emotional and spiritual state that's dragging me down." "I honestly don't blame you, you've had a rough day." Will replies. He's so cute when he's overprotective.

"Why not play video games?" Leo asks. Everyone groans. "Last time we played, Percy beat everyone in MarioKart." I say. "I bet you that'll change." Lucifer shoots back. Michael just shrugs. "He's pretty good." "You're on." Percy challenges.

Candace raises an eyebrow, "When did you two play MarioKart?" Oh, right… They've been fighting for long since before MarioKart came out. Lucifer shrugs, "We stopped by Tony's place before we came here…" All of us wince as Candace visually deflates.

We start heading to the game room. Lucifer seems to notice Candace's mood drop. "What happened?" He asks, trying oh so very hard to make it seem like he doesn't care. "Nothing… I'm just an idiot, that's all." Candace answers, opening the door to the game room. At least she can walk by herself now… That or she is really good at faking it, Probably the second one…

We all gather around the gigantic TV and turn on the XBOX. Percy and Lucifer go first… Luci wins easily. "No way!" Percy exclaims, looking at the TV in shock. Candace bust out laughing. "Luci… That's… Not… Fair!" She gasps, trying to stifle her laughter. A frown adorns my face when I see her eyes… she's faking it. She wants to just curl in a ball with a tub of ice cream… yet is faking a laugh.

Lucifer acquires a innocent look that does not fit his face or reputation. "What's not fair?" He asks, playing dumb. "You're cheating!" How is that funny? "It's not cheating if you don't get caught." Candace continues to giggle but doesn't say anything else.

Percy won't let it fly. "If he's cheating then make him stop!" Percy exclaims. Candace just shakes her head and grabs the controller from Percy, playing a game against Lucifer, she wins almost as easy as Lucifer did against Percy.

Lucifer grumbles under his breath before demanding a rematch. "Your tricks don't work on me!" Candace sings. "What tricks?!" Percy asks, obviously annoyed that Candace knows how Lucifer was cheating.

"Illusions! When you were playing you were holding your controller upside down." Candace explains simply. "No I wasn't!" "Illusions! Idiot!" Percy grumbles as we all laugh at him. Lucifer and Candace have a rematch.

After the second lap Candace starts having trouble, "Get your wing out of my face!" She shouts, pushing something invisible out of her face. "One of the disadvantages to being able to see an angel's wings- they can use that against you when you're trying to play MarioKart!"

Candace then takes control of the race when she takes one of those secret passages no one can ever find. Candace suddenly goes quiet, "I made sure to memorize all of the video game secrets I could so that I could always beat Tony… He is an adorable sore loser…"

I don't think she meant to say that last part out loud. Piper doesn't say a single word as she walks to the mini fridge and pulls out the cookies and cream ice cream the Stoll brothers snuck in. "This looks extremely fattening…" Candace says, pulling off the top of it.

"And your beloved Bacon Cheeseburgers?" "Touché." Candace agrees. "Is anyone going to tell us what is going on?!" Lucifer asks, gesturing to him and Michael's confusion. "Tony Stark broke her heart." Piper says bluntly. "Well, don't sugar coat it." "Can I go kill him?" Lucifer is really protective… he said it so simply, like he is stating the sky is blue. "No." we all chorus. "I want to get my revenge on him someday. Maybe when I'm completely healed." Candace mutters. "Can't do that if he's already dead."

"Chuck, he was gonna tell you, you told him not to. Why?" Leo asks. "I guess I said that because heartbreak makes for good reading. Besides, if I knew, I would have done everything in my power to change it. That would have messed everything up. And I honestly don't believe much in prophecies, despite how often they come true. A prophecy is a vision of one possible future, just because something _can_ happen, doesn't mean it _will_. Often times it's knowing the future that causes it to come to pass."

Jason looks skeptical, "Name _one_ time a Prophecy _didn't_ come true!" He demands… The rest of us start laughing, knowing how easy this is going to be to answer. "How about every prophecy the oracle gave since the beginning? They just didn't come true in the way we'd expected. Or, I know!" She points to the Archangels, "It was foretold that these two would fight, destroying the world… That literally _can't_ happen now." Jason goes a bit red in the face. "Oh."

Leo quickly changes the subject again. "Do you guys wanna do Karaoke?" Percy just grins and looks at Piper. "Candace, we got a song we want you to sing." "To be fair, we picked it out for you before we even knew you were real." Ok, I'm starting to catch on. Well, _I_ knew she was real at the time, I just found it funny to watch the ship wars…

Candace just sighs, "I'm not getting out of this, am I?" "Nope." She sighs once again, "You better not make me sing 'Light 'em up!' That song has been stuck in my head since the first time Gabe made me…" She says, walking over to the Karaoke machine that Hazel got out.

"No, we want you to sing 'My Demons.' By Starset. Where is Gabe anyway?" I reply. "I'm not sure, I haven't heard from him since just before… Tony and Pepper became a thing." Well duh, He is in love with you! He couldn't just sit there and listen to you confess to Tony! He's probably trying to drink himself into oblivion at the moment. By the looks around the room everyone is having a similar thought.

Right then and there, we all silently agree to get Candace and Gabriel together. I think this is the first time in forever that Michael and Lucifer agree on something. Candace takes the microphone and starts singing the song we all believe fits her and Gabriel.

 **Mayday! Mayday!  
The ship is slowly sinking!  
They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling.**

It's amazing how much more this song fits her after last night… The ship now means 'Iron Hound'. Only it didn't sink slowly… And most of us really don't know heartbreak… I'm the only one who experienced it…

 **They're all around me,  
Circling like vultures  
They wanna break me and wash away my colors  
Wash away my colors**

Candace really has an amazing voice. The books didn't sell it good enough to adequately describe it… On a scale from Apollo to Siren she would probably be Emmy Raver-Lampman.

 **Take me high and I'll sing  
Oh you make everything okay, okay, okay  
'Kay, Okay, Okay**

 **We are one in the same  
Oh you take all of the pain away, away, away  
'Way, away, away**

 **Save me if I become  
My demons**

The seven thought this fit Gabriel and her. How he is always fussing to make sure she doesn't get hurt… By herself or her Demons.

 **I cannot stop this sickness taking over  
It takes control and drags me into nowhere**

At first we were unsure how to connect this part of the song to her… Now 'Sickness' seems to be synonymous with heartbreak. Especially after it caused her to run all the way across the country.

 **I need your help, I can't fight this forever  
I know you're watching,  
I can feel you out there.**

I bet if Gabe was here she would be a bit happier, not these fake laughs and fake smiles she keeps trying to deceive us with. I wonder how long it'll be, before Gabriel reopens the Telepathy link and realizes she got rejected… Or, rather, never got the chance to confess…

 **Take me high and I'll sing  
Oh you make everything okay, okay, okay  
'Kay, Okay, Okay**

 **We are one in the same  
Oh you take all of the pain away, away, away  
'Way, away, away**

 **Save me if I become  
My demons**

 **Take me over the walls below  
Fly forever  
Don't let me go  
I need a savior to heal my pain  
When I become my worst enemy  
The enemy.**

She does self destruct a lot…

 **Take me high and I'll sing  
Oh you make everything okay  
We are one in the same  
Oh you take all of the pain away**

 **Take me high and I'll sing  
Oh you make everything okay, okay, okay  
'Kay, Okay, Okay**

 **We are one in the same  
Oh you take all of the pain away, away, away  
'Way, away, away**

 **Save me if I become  
My demons**

 **Take me high and I'll sing  
Oh you make everything okay, okay, okay  
'Kay, Okay, Okay**

 **We are one in the same  
Oh you take all of the pain away, away, away  
'Way, away, away**

 **Save m-**

The last line of the song is cut off by Candace's phone going off. 'I am Iron Man' filling the room. Everyone seems to freeze, Archangels included. It doesn't take very much to figure out who is calling her. Candace seems to forget how to breathe for a moment. She puts down the Microphone and reaches her hand around to pull her phone out of her back pocket.

After what seems like forever… She answers the phone.


	31. Chapter 30

**Candace's POV:**

I stare at the ringing phone for what feels like forever… contemplating declining the call then blocking the number. _What should I do?!_ I completely deflate when I don't get an answer. Oh, right. Gabriel shut down the link, he can't hear me. _I'm sure he'll come back!_ _Doubt it… Looks like I've driven someone else away… How do you think I messed up with him? Did I finally realize that I'm a Hellhound? A monster that doesn't deserve to be happy?_ _Oh come on! Everyone deserves Happiness! If we didn't believe that we would have just shoved Luci back in the cage!_ _I don't… I was born a monster, a killer. And I refuse to do that! Not only am I a monster, I'm a defective one!_

I shove this conversation to the back of my mind and answer the phone, putting it on speaker so that everyone can hear Tony's side of the conversation. "Hello, Tony." I say, making my voice emotionless. Nothing can be gathered from my words. Deep down I hope he's gonna tell me that last night was just a horrible hallucination.

"Hey, Hell Puppy! While I appreciate you giving Pepper and I some privacy, you didn't have to abandon the house completely!" So it wasn't a hallucination? "I felt like I needed a break. Yesterday was a bit crazy, what with stopping the apocalypse and all. Oh, and don't call me Hell Puppy, That's Gabe's nickname." I do my best to keep my voice light and joking, yet I know that I failed from the looks I am receiving.

"Okay… How about Hot Dog, Flaming Hound, or Fido? I've been partial to Skulls!" Tony offers, not noticing my tone of voice. "I don't like any of them… Just call me Candace." I reply. Tony has lost his nickname privileges after last night.

"Okay! Still a bit touchy I see… Anyway, I would really appreciate it if you came back to the house… I need you." He misses me! Really?! "I have some new ideas for your boots that I want to run by you… Also, the press is going crazy! The world is demanding that 'the Flaming woman' is explained." "Oh…"

"Stupid name I know! It should definitely be something cooler! Like Howling Blaze! Cinder Wolf!" "Please, stop it." It amazes me how he can't tell I'm crying… Especially after we got so close, or was that just in my head? "Tony, what's my favorite color?" I ask out of nowhere.

"Uh… Black, right?" No, black is the same color of a demon's eyes. Red is my favorite because if something bleeds I can hurt it… I can defend myself against it… It also proves that I'm alive. "Food?" "Easy, gummy bears." I love gummy bears but It's not my favorite… Cheeseburgers are my favorite because they prove I can survive on a source of food other than the bodies of those I drag into Hell.

"Animal?" "Wolves." Wolves are just stupid mutts… My favorite is, surprisingly, Sharks, because they can never be tamed… They will never be put on a leash or controlled. "Favourite kind of weather?" "Rain." I actually love snow… It's a nice change from the fire. Plus, I never feel cold. I get to enjoy it's beauty without feeling like I'm freezing to death.

"What's the point of these questions?" Tony finally asks. "The seven want to know how well you know me." I lie easily, well, they probably do. "Who're the seven?!" "Obviously not very well. I would think that the guy I fell in love with would at least know my favorite color. Especially after you painted the Iron Man suit Red because of it!"

"Wait! What? You-" "I'm not coming back to the house. Not after last night. Get your girlfriend to call me if you need me to clean up another one of your messes. I'm done. You never bothered to notice, last night, I was fucking crying when you were kissing Pepper. Rhodes tried to cheer me up but nothing could help me! I want to burn you like I torched Stane, slowly and painfully. I'm erasing myself from your narrative."

"Come on! Wait!" "Goodbye Tony." I hang up the phone before blocking his number. "JARVIS, tell me if Tony creates a level six mess or higher, other than that… don't mention him to me ever!" I growl into my phone. "Yes, miss." I allow myself to sink towards the ground.

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY? WHY? **WHY?** "Am I allowed to at least _hurt_ him?!" Lucifer exclaims. "No." I sigh. I want to… I want to be angry at him. I want to tear out his eyes, and rip out his heart the hard way… But I'm still in love with him!

 _I don't know if you heard, but I never told Tony… he, he broke my heart. I could really use your comfort right now… I'm at Camp Half-Blood, if you want to come…_ I still receive no answer. _Guess you're still not listening…_

My moment of wallowing in my own self pity is cut off with my phone going off once again. I grumble to myself at the stupid unknown caller. "What?" I ask, not even bothering to be respectful. "I know this is a bad time." Fury?! How would they know this is a bad time unless… They were listening to the call.

"But we have found a job that could use your particular skill set… Might take your mind off of everything." I guess I have nothing to lose at this point. "What's the job?" I ask. "Nothing too extreme… I know you're still recuperating. We found a crash site in the Arctic Circle completely frozen over… The ice keeps freezing faster than our machines can melt it…"

"What is so important about unfreezing this?" I ask curiously, S.H.I.E.L.D. would only be involved if it was important. "It's the same Jet that someone very important to my organization was last reported on, I'm sure you've heard of Captain Steve Rogers?"

"You found his dead body?!" I ask excitedly. "Body? Yes. Dead? Not according to our scanners, but we can't unfreeze the ice to get to him." "Give me exact coordinates, I'll be there in five minutes." I respond. Fury gives me the coordinates and I hang up.

Before the people around me can even think of stopping me with a 'you're too weak' excuse I shadow travel, collect my things from the hospital room. I make an etxtra point to leave my boots and headset there. I don't care about them anymore. I then shadow travel to the coordinates I received. Immediately being met with extreme cold.

"Holy shit, it's cold!" I yell. I hear a voice a few meters to my right. "I know, right? Nice to see you here, maybe you can heat things up a bit." I turn toward the voice. "Phil, how nice to see you. You having a fanboy attack yet?" I can hear the excitement. "Not yet, but with this case, anything's possible. Come on, the jet's this way."

There's a couple people trying to melt the ice above the wing of the jet, making some progress. As soon as they melt a foot, it starts freezing again. Some of them are giving me weird looks, like, 'what is this crazy woman doing, standing in -30 degree weather in a t-shirt and shorts?', I just ignore them. Walking up to the small little dent they made in the ice.

Phil smiles before gesturing to the men, "You might want to step back now…" The men hesitantly listen. I crouch down and light my hands on fire with Dragon's fire… Easily the best choice when it comes to heat. I place my hands down on the ground, melting through the ice a hundred times faster than they were, but once my hands hit the ship I immediately jump back, "AH!"

Iron! Oh course it had to be iron! "You could have told me…" "What is it?" "Iron is basically acid to me. I can't touch the jet itself. Well… I can, but it'll hurt like Hell." I respond. "I'll melt a section and keep it melted long enough for you to cut through the metal and climb in." Phil nods. "Ok. It'll take maybe an hour and a half to cut through an inch of iron, do you think you can hold your fire as long as that? If not longer?" "Yes." If I didn't just stop the apocalypse and fight an army of killer robots yesterday… I'll manage.

I back up a little ways, giving them room to place the machine above the hole in the ice. I stand there for two hours as they cut open a hole in the ship, It eventually gets completely cut through and the piece falls down into the ship.

Phil climbs down the rope ladder first, then two guys, then I follow after them, it's a gaping hole in the ship! We have probably about two hours before the ice builds up enough to cover it. I land next to Phil. "What a week… Tony Stark's Nanny, met Thor, then explored a Hydra ship taken down by Captain America with a Hellhound." Phil mutters to himself.

The other guards are confused by the Hellhound comment but brush it off. "Eh, I've had stranger…" I argue. "Prove it." I shrug, okay. "Within the past 48 hours I have been murdered by Lucifer, had a conversation with Hades and Persephone, Stopped the Christian Apocalypse, fought an army of robots and played a game of Mario Kart with Lucifer and Micheal." Phil goes silent for a minute as we walk up to a door, "You win."

"Thank you… Now, do you have any idea where Captain Rogers is?" I ask. "Uh.. No, our scanners say that there are signs of life… But we have no way of mapping the Ship and finding where…" "I can pick up a trace scent. You don't happen to have any artefacts from him?" That would be a huge help, but when am I ever that lucky? "No…"

Okay! So we have two hours to explore this entire massive ship, all of the doors are both frozen shut and made of Iron… Absolutly Fantastic! "I can definitely sense some sort of evil here, what would that be?" "Probably Red Skull, he tried to touch the Tesseract and basically got vaporised." Of course Phil would know every tiny detail about that, he was around for that! "So, I focus on the good vibes, not the bad, and we have our guy." "Sounds like a plan."

I reach up to the door, melting the ice, when I reach the Iron door I realize exactly how much this job is going to suck… We can't get the machines down here to break the door itself! I have to melt the door off of it's hinges, letting it fall to the ground. I sigh before placing my hand on the top one, ignoring the feeling of my skin melting off.

Phil doesn't though… "Your hand!" I shrug it off, "Nothing I haven't dealt with before…" I say, pushing off the pesky memories. "Didn't you know that's what I faced escaping the Ten Rings?" He nods grimly. "I guess I'll leave you to it. I'm gonna go report to Fury."

I'm not sure how long I'm down there, when Phil comes back down to tell me to take a break. It's still pretty dark, I've been under ice for most of the day. They've set up a bunk in a quinjet for me- how thoughtful, they'll let a monster rest with them. I could kill them at any moment, but they seem to trust me. Just like the Winchesters don't.

Time to shake off those memories and sleep.

{page break}

What the hell? Normally I don't have dreams… I guess because Gabriel isn't here, I'm left with them. "I thought I'd never catch you!" the childish voice rings out. Lilith. Wait, no, that's not Lilith's meatsuit, that's- Tony. "What are you doing, why do you have him?" I growl hoarsely. Suddenly, there's a force that holds me against a wall, I can't get rid of it. "I thought you'd like the new suit. You liked him, didn't you? I heard people thought we would make a good couple, what did they call us, Calith? I honestly think it's adorable." Lilith draws a knife from a sheath in Tony's suit. "Let him go, please…" She/he giggles. That sound sends shivers up my spine.

"Why would I do that?" "Because I am begging you. Let him go." I am more desperate now than any other time in my life. "I thought he broke your heart, he ignored you, he left for another girl. Hellspawn are supposed to be happy, doing things for Lucifer." "You're quite content, I'd say. I'm definitely not." I'm trying to remain amiable, but I don't think I'm doing a good job. "Oh, I guess that only applies to some hellspawn. You, I think, are destined to fail at everything, to never be happy."

She's making me so angry. I know Tony would never say things like this, but I can't help but think he's at least somewhat angry at me. "I'll let your pretty boyfriend out for a few minutes. He's got a few things he wants to say." Lilith says.

"Candace, what's going on?" Tony asks. "Lilith's possessing you, she said you had something to say to me?" "Yeah! I wish you hadn't saved me from the goddamn cave, Yinsen would probably still be alive. I would have made it out by myself, I don't need you. You dragged me and Rhodey and Pepper into this, what the fuck were you thinking? I'm glad Pepper's my girlfriend, at least she's around more than you. You disappear in the middle of the night, and there's no news from you for three or four days, I think you're dead! You, you fucked my life up."

I'm flat out crying now. "Tony, this isn't you, Lilith's corrupting you." "Oh, no, this is what I've felt about you this whole time." Lilith resurfaces. "Did you like his message?" I spit in her face. "You little bitch. I think now's a good time to tell you that Luca and Jesse are dead. Killed them with this knife." She lets me get a closer look- it's Hellfire. _Gabe, help me… You promised not to let her get to me!_ _**Why would I do that? You chased a douchebag around, so lovestruck, you never noticed me! A million times I've saved your ass and not a single thank you! Well I'm done! I promised not to lie to you, remember?! Well, here is the truth! I should have let you keep driving in Montana!**_

This is the worst. I barely feel it as Tony/Lilith carves into my chest with my own blade… I may not be able to see that they are writing, but she's carved words into my skin enough times for me to be able to tell… She's writing 'Lilith's pet', along with a couple other words that all must have been dug up from Tony's memories. "Fucking let me go! Please…" I whimper, screaming as they continues to carve sigils.

[Page Break]

I bolt out of bed, immediately swinging Hellfire at the air in front of me. I must have gripped the blade I put under my pillow in my sleep. Sleep! It was all just a dream… Just a dream. It didn't feel like it… I look down onto my chest, sighing in relief when there are no words carved into my skin.

Well, it looks like I'm not gonna sleep again. I get out of the cot, sneak past all the sleeping agents and head back out to the ship. I remelt the opening and drop down the rope ladder. I head to the last door I was working on, not caring about the pain melting the iron puts me through.

I was tempted to try and contact Gabriel, perhaps someone to talk to would help distract me from my own thoughts. If it wasn't for his words in the dream, I would have… Now I'm too scared that he won't answer- or that he will, and parrot my dream.

Every two hours I go back and remelt the opening to the ship, I do that two times before Phil comes back down. During that time I was able to reach two new rooms and am well on my way to opening the third. My progress has been rewarded with third degree burns that now cover my hands and parts of my arms.

Phil sits down beside me, "I thought I would find you down here… Couldn't sleep?" He asks. "I got a couple hours…" I respond, finishing the first hinge on this door, about to start on the second. "You missed breakfast, I brought you some!" Phil says, pulling out a soup canister. When he opens it the smell of chicken soup reached my nose.

"We don't exactly get five star breakfast here, but it still tastes pretty good." Phil says, trying to get me to take the can. "I'm not hungry." I mutter, returning to the door. Phil sighs and closes the canister, placing it beside me. "If you do get hungry, it's right here… I doubt you are going to care if it gets cold." He says before walking away.

The next week or so continues like that… I work on exploring each room, Phil and the agents work on identifying each Hydra agent we come across, Phil tries to get me to eat even though I'm not hungry and I barely get any sleep. After the second nightmare, which was worse than the first, I stop trying. When Phil calls me into the jet to sleep I come in and wait for them to pass out before returning to the ship. At the end of the week I finally reach the last room in this whole damn ship, he has to be in here.

We're walking around what I assume must've been the cockpit- it's fucking huge- and some men spot something in a block of ice. "This has waited long enough." I run up to them, and defrost some of the ice. There's a round metal object, not iron, with red, blue, and silver paint. It's Cap's shield. There's six dents in it, I wonder what the story behind that is.

I reach forward with a single hand, which at this point you can see the bones through the melted flesh, and melt the ice around the shield, pulling it free. "Hey Phil…" I call. He looks up just in time. "Catch." He barely catches it and his face lights up like a Christmas tree… If Gabe were here I know exactly which joke he would be making… 'Look here… This is the wild Fanboy! They can become very dangerous when their idol is insulted… I'mma poke it's hero with a stick…' He would do it in a perfect crocodile hunter accent too. But he's not here. I have Coulson here.

"Ok, start bringing all the machinery down here, we can bring the great Captain America back from the ice." I start ordering. Phil nods in agreement. I work on getting the ice around the Captain mostly defrosted, that way we can move him to a better location before I wake him up. I imagine he'll be surprised.

 **{page break}**

We begin defrosting Rogers, and he's asleep for maybe a few weeks before he wakes up. I get the task of re-introduction. Probably not the wisest decision on SHIELD's part, because I look nothing like a nurse of the 1940s. (I look a lot more like a Hollywood extra.) The radio program is a game that I know for a fact Steve Rogers was at. It's not gonna fool him.

What I didn't expect is, when he figured everything out, he would bolt out the door and into the center of Times Square. I stay hot on his tail (pun intended) until he slows and eventually stops. Not an easy feat, but easier since I went through two angel boot camps.

"What's happened?" "A lot, in the nearly 70 years you were frozen. Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, Nick Fury, wanted me to help you, as I can give you eyewitness accounts of almost everything that happened since the beginning of time." I reply. I've rehearsed this a few times, not wanting to fuck this up. "Welcome to the year 2012."

We have an apartment set up- actually we have two, since I'm not going within a mile of Stark's hideous tower- so if Rogers needs help, I can explain something. The first thing I talk about is everything that's happened since 1944, as well as slang and technology of this era. Basic things that he needs to survive. I notice a pattern- every morning, he'll wake up around 4AM, and jog in Central Park, before going to the gym and attacking a punching bag.

I don't even bother sleeping anymore, because I don't want the nightmares to keep scaring me. If Gabe were here… _Don't think about him. He'll talk to you in his own time._ _I think I fucked up too badly for him to talk to me again. I honestly wouldn't blame him if he just abandoned me, like that stupid son of a bitch Stark._ _If it makes you feel better, we can torch his mansion later._ _That would make me feel better, but doing that isn't exactly disappearing from his life like I want to._ I haven't told Rogers about my powers, although he's probably noticed by now my incredible speed- I could easily win a race against him.

"So, what's your story?" Steve asks, punching the bag I'm keeping steady for him. "What?" I ask. He pauses for a moment, "I haven't seen you eat, sleep, or smile since I've met you… Normally there is a story behind that." He says, returning to punching the bag.

I sigh before giving a brief explanation, "It just seems that I've been hurting things more than helping, my own stupidity resulted in me losing some friends…" I explain briefly. "Well, you've been helping me… If it wasn't for you I would be completely lost in this century." Steve argues.

Steve continues punching the bag for a minute, it doesn't take long for his hand to go through it, again. I sigh and put up a new one, we've gone through quite a few of these. "You know… Whatever it is you did, I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is…"

I huff, "Yeah, they only threatened to kill me and the other one has stopped talking to me." I say dryly. "If they're your friends, then they'll get over it. I know that I wouldn't care about anything Bucky did if I just got to see him again." Steve continues to argue.

"Sure." I say, with a sigh. He doesn't understand… They aren't going to forgive me, not when I betrayed their trust. _What did we do to Gabriel? I understand the boys, we kept secrets, but I don't remember crossing Gabe._ _We were gonna tell Tony we loved him, Gabe cut off the link right before that, like he couldn't bear to listen. We must have done something… Perhaps he thought, that if I confessed to Tony I would be happy… That I wouldn't need or want him around anymore…_ _Yeah, we both know that's not quite true!_

Right, I still haven't slept or eaten since before Steve got out of the ice… I probably have another week before I'm back in the underworld. Whatever… Not like anyone wants me to stay on the surface anyway.

 **It'll get happier soon, I promise! But for now, enjoy this spiral of depression. (My boyfriend of eight years had just broken up with me when I wrote these parts, the jokes are most likely from my Co-author, Nightmarehunter676)**


	32. Chapter 31

**Gabriel's POV:**

I down another bottle of wine, I'm still not drunk! Not even Buzzed! I've been drinking since I woke up from my last hangover and still… Nothing! I throw the bottle at the wall of my safe house in Arizona, watching in satisfaction as it shatters and falls to the ground.

No matter how much I try not to, my mind wanders to the Hellhound that has become so important in my life. She still hasn't called… Two and a half months and she hasn't sent me so much as a prayer! Not even a text! Guess she doesn't want me around anymore…

She is probably traveling the world with Iron Douche on his private Douche yacht. I guess she's finally happy. I should be happy for her… even though she doesn't want me around. I grab another bottle, this time it's scotch. I'm about to chug the thing when it disappears.

"Wow! You might be taking it worse than she is…" Lucifer's annoying voice calls from the other side of the room. I roll my eyes, "Well duh! She's happy! Probably overjoyed at the recent turn of events!" I shout, snapping up another bottle, which also disappears. "You haven't heard what happened, I take it."

Wait, something happened other than what I'm assuming happened? "No. Just what I'm assuming happened. What did I miss?" I ask, still upset that I'm completely sober. Lucifer just shrugs, "Nothing much… Candace has just been going through Hell. Her 'brothers' no longer trust her and you stopped talking to her out of nowhere… She's assuming that you suddenly hate her." Lucifer answers.

That's so like her… Always assuming she did something wrong, always taking the blame. Lucifer keeps talking, "She went off about a month ago, I haven't been able to find her, but I'm guessing that since you're not next to her, her nightmares have come back…"

I wince at the thought- her nightmares, or the ones I've gotten glimpses of are always awful. Lucifer keeps going, what else could he have to say?! "It also probably isn't helping that Stark broke her heart." He says casually. "Wait, what?" "Oh, you really haven't heard. As the result of that night, Pepper and Tony Stark kissed, leaving Candy completely heartbroken." He says, throwing a book at me, Rogue Hound. "End of Chapter 28."

I hurriedly skim through the chapter, starting at where I left. Crap! "Oh, I guess this would be the time to bring back up… No one can find her… Not me, Mikey, The 'Angel of Death', not even Tony… She pulled a Hellhound and disappeared."

Double crap! I don't even reply as I open my wings and immediately start flying. If I get within fifty miles of her I can reopen the Telepathy link… Please don't do something stupid, like die!

 **Dean's POV:**

Sam and I are packing up our hotel room in Henderson, North Carolina, just finished with another hunt. Within the past few months mostly everything has gone smooth. Except for Castiel's Civil War in heaven… Apparently without Michael up there, controlling the God Squad, they are trying to appoint a new leader, chaos ensuing.

I don't know whether to be nervous or not. The second the Hellhound we used to trust gets wind of this she is going to order Michael to appoint someone she likes to the throne. Then she'll even have heaven wrapped around her little finger. This is why we don't trust monsters.

I turn around to start carrying the bags to the car and Crowley is standing right there. I thought we salted the place! "Hello boys…" "What do you want?!" I growl, reaching to the knife. The knife flies across the room, "Nah ah ah! We can't have that…" Sam, who was also reaching for a weapon finds himself unarmed as well. "I have a job for you."

"And why would we work for you?!" Sam asks. "Because the job involves hurting a certain someone you aren't too happy with at the moment… I'm sure you've heard of Candace Armina." Crowley reveals. My fist tightens, "Yeah, she's the bitch that used us to get more powerful…"

A grin grows across the stupid Demon's face, practically screaming 'I know something you don't!' "Yes, well… I'm also sure you've heard of the ongoing race downstairs, to tame the Rogue Hound? I want you to bring her to me!"

What? "I get the honor of beating Lilith and you two boys get your revenge by making Candace dear relive her worst fear… Being put on another leash." It does sound like a good deal. "Fine, if you're so sure you can tame that one…" I push.

"Goody! She's in a little apartment in New York, here's the address." Crowley says, handing me a piece of paper with the address on it. "You'll also need this necklace, it's basically a collar." "How long do we have?" Sam asks. Someone here is logical, and it's not always me. "Tops, two weeks. I'll let you know when and where we meet."

He disappears, just as quickly as he came. "Looks like we've got a bit of driving." I say, slamming the trunk shut. It'll be about seven hours, which is almost nothing compared to other drives we've done. Before we drive out of the city, Sam stops by a bookstore and picks up a copy of the book 'Rogue Hound'.

"Why are you reading that?" I ask. "I just want a feel for what we're actually dealing with. I've got a bit of a bad feeling about this whole thing." Oh my God, is he actually still so trusting? "Sam, let's review. She took on a huge risk by binding two archangels to herself, and now she is easily one of the most powerful monsters out there, we can't let her stay out there." "I dunno, I feel like we've been looking at this all wrong. If it weren't for her I'd still be Lucifer's meatsuit, and the Apocalypse would have happened." "I know, but I'm not gonna let her live. Gabriel hasn't shown up in forever, I think he's dead." I'm firm on my opinion. 'Do no harm but take no shit.' "Alright…"

We begin the long drive up to Brooklyn. All throughout the trip Sammy keeps making comments like, 'Gabe is in her head more often than I thought', 'She really is in love with Tony.' and 'She really is afraid of Lilith'. I take a small pause when I hear one of the questions in the Truth or Dare game she played with Gabe. 'Sam or Dean?' I can't help but smirk when I hear her answer was me. It's, however, once he gets to one part of the books he demands I stop the car, in this little run-down gas station in Pennsylvania, "Woah! Woah, Woah, Woah! Stop the car!"

I begrudgingly stop the car for my little brother. He proceeds to shove the book in my face, "Right here! Candace didn't even know that she _could_ bind the Archangels until Lucifer bound Death…" Sam announces. "How could she be planning for something she didn't know about?" I ask, seeing where Sam is taking this. "Exactly! And this was _after_ she told me to kill Lilith and gave me the hound blood."

"Okay, so binding the Archangels wasn't the original plan… She was still using all of us to get power! She had you kill Lilith so that she was free without the threat of a leash, she gave you the blood because she needed you alive for whatever reason…" I argue. Sammy shakes his head, "Yeah, okay."

Sammy continues to read, making more comments. 'After she left the cemetery she went to Tony.' No surprise there, even if she is a Hell bitch, she is in love with the guy. Sam continues to read, "Tony broke her heart…" "Well good! The bitch doesn't exactly deserve happiness."

This seems to put Sammy in an even more sour mood as he just starts reading from the book, "'Why? Why can't I be happy? Why do the Winchesters, people I view as brothers, hate me? Why does the person I've fallen in love for not feel the same? Why did I stupidly make all of the choices that would lead me here? What choices did I make that lead me here? How could I mess everything up so badly? What did I do to never deserve happiness?!'"

I get a sick feeling of satisfaction at the words, Sam skips ahead a bit but doesn't stop reading. "' Who ever said that pain is better than nothing at all, is an idiot. This is worse than anything Lilith could ever come up with… Who ever thought, that my own mistakes, and the betrayal of those I loved… would be the worst demon of all. For sometime… I wish I wasn't Immortal.'"

Well...That's depressing. "Dean…" Oh, that's not good. Samantha has something important to say. "She views us as brothers… I've read through it, Not once in this book does she _try_ to use us. It's more often than not, the other way around." I sigh, knowing exactly what Sammy is going to propose.

"You want to _talk_ to the monster?" "Well, yeah!" I sigh again. "Dean, just listen to me! I just want to make sure that she is actually evil before we send her back to one of the afterlives or tie her to _Crowley_! She has saved our lives enough times for us to give her that, tricks or no tricks."

"You aren't going to give up on this are you?" Sammy shakes his head, "Fine, we'll talk to her, but first we both take Hellfire and trap her in a salt circle." "Done."

{page break}

Candace's POV

I'm sitting in the apartment kitchen, reading another novel- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets . I was supposed to give it to Steve, but I wanted to read it first. Then again, I read it when it first came out. There's a knock at the door. I go up to it, holding on to Hellfire. "Who's there?" No response. Opening the door a crack, I'm immediately blinded by salt thrown in my face. Hunters. Yay. Someone pushes me back against the wall, while the other one creates a salt circle. I'm shoved into the circle, and when my eyes clear up again, I'm staring into the faces of Sam and Dean Winchester.

"Whose dirty work are you doing this time?" I mutter. Obviously they aren't working alone, or they wouldn't've been able to find me. "Some demons wanted us to put you on a leash again. You've got five minutes to tell us why we shouldn't do that." It takes all my willpower not to cry right there. I do, however, sit down and pull my knees to my chest.

"I don't understand, everything I did was to help you. I wanted to get Sammy off the demon blood, I nearly drained myself dry with Famine, I _died_ to get the forbidden fruit, I stopped the apocalypse- which by the way, had a side effect of me having two archangels on a leash- I got my heartbroken by the biggest playboy billionaire out there… I don't understand, why do you hate me? I never used you, for anything." My layered voice is starting to show again- a mix of my human and hound vocal cords. "I'm not saying it's the other way around, but it kinda seems like that to me.

"Please, don't take me back… I've lost Gabe, Tony, you guys… I don't need to lose everything I fought for." I'm begging now. There's a look of sympathy on Sam's face, but Dean still looks determined. "Dean, I'm not helping you on your vengeance quest. If you wanna take her back to Crowley, fine. I'm not helping."

Dean throws a necklace at me. "Put it on." He orders. I have a feeling that it's actually the collar, but I'm not entirely certain. "I don't exactly have a choice, do I?" I say grimly. "No, you don't. Put it on or I will bring out the iron." I hesitantly put on the necklace, deflating when I can't pull it back off. "When do I have to meet Crowley?" "You have two weeks."

Two weeks to try to get it off. Two weeks to say goodbye to everything and everyone I hold dear. Two weeks to enjoy my freedom. Two weeks to figure out how to die, permanently. I don't want to go back. I'm not going to become another puppet of sorrow. I don't want to hurt anyone else… I won't.

"Let me out of the damn salt circle, give me Hellfire. I'll meet Crowley in two weeks at the fountain in Central park. I want you to leave Brooklyn, I don't want to see you again. I'm erasing myself from your narrative." Sam sweeps the salt out of my way, and I stalk out of the apartment.

I think a walk in Central Park would clear my mind. Maybe Steve would like to come with me. I knock on the door to his apartment. He answers, "Candace? What are you doing, it's late." "I was wondering if you'd like to walk through Central Park with me. I have a few things I'd like to get off my chest." "Sure." At least someone hasn't abandoned me.

We both walk out to Central Park, Steve not really knowing how to break the silence. "I know you have questions about me that you are too afraid to ask." I say, sitting down on the fountain that I will meet my next nightmare at.

"I didn't want to intrude… you're very closed off when it comes to your past." Steve says, sitting down beside me. "Not anymore… Ask me anything, I'll answer." I say. Other than Luca and Jesse, Steve is the only one that hasn't abandoned me, or I haven't driven away. He deserves to know _what_ he is friends with.

"Okay… You talk about everything that has happened within the last century like you were there…" "I was… Something I've kept from you so far, I'm immortal, I have unusual powers as well." Steve takes a minute to digest this, It isn't as hard considering I've been feeding him information about the X-Men.

"What do these powers entail?" "Pyrokinesis, Invisibility, Advanced Senses, speed and stamina… I can also make people hallucinate." I answer simply. Steve nods, "Why are we really out here?" I sigh before pulling out a couple books, the same ones I was planning on giving him anyway. Harry Potter, along with the first Issue of Rogue Hound.

"This… Is my story, starting at about a year ago til a week ago. I bet the book about today will be out within the week… That should answer any further questions you have…" I say. A look crosses over his face, one that I can't decipher. I then Shadow Travel to the top of the Empire state building, the antenna part. Almost to Olympus but not quite.

So, how does a Hellhound die permanently? _You can't, dummy! And even if you could, it would break the leash you put on the Archangels!_ _And they would restart the Apocalypse…_ I sigh and curl up into a ball, so I either have to find a way to get this necklace off, or work for Crowley.

I take a minute to examine the thing… It's simple, most people would see it as regular jewelry. I see it for what it is, a shock collar. Everything can be bound… for creatures like Hellhounds it can only be temporary, requiring a collar around the controlled and the controller must hold the 'leash'. Lilith never bothered because my own fear kept me in control quite decently.

How ironic, me running away from Lilith, resulted in me being controlled by another… I wonder how Crowley is compared to Lilith. Knowing my luck, he'll be worse. I curl up even further into myself. Oh Gabriel… I wish you hadn't abandoned me, you would at least make my last days of freedom entertaining…


	33. Chapter 32

Gabriel's POV:

I'm searching for Candace in California when a familiar headache crawls into my head… Ugh! Someone I know is praying! It better not be those stinking Winchesters! I've kept up with the books since Luci told me, Not exactly happy with what I read. The last book ended with the Winchesters heading to put Candace on another leash.

'Oh Gabriel…' Candace! She's praying! I can find her! Empire State building, New York. 'I wish you hadn't abandoned me,' Crap, she doesn't even realize she is praying! I didn't abandon you… I thought you would be happy without me. 'You would at least make my last days of freedom entertaining…'

I fly to the top of the Empire State Building, and when I catch a glimpse of Candace, my heart sinks. Her eyes are sunken in, I can see her ribs, she looks exhausted and starved. Her hands have exposed tendons and bone, so someone must've burned her. I fucked up, I totally fucked up. "Candace!" She turns toward me, and relief flashes through her eyes. "Oh my god, Gabe, I thought you weren't coming back for me." Her grip on the building isn't strong, and she slips a bit. I catch her and we go to another one of my safe houses. Before I forget, I reopen our telepathy link. I'm not gonna lose her again.

As soon as we arrive, I set her down on a bed and make sure she's asleep. She has to regain her strength. I takes two seconds before another nightmare begins to haunt her… They've worsened since I left. I wipe the nightmare away, replacing it with a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

My attention is drawn to a necklace around her neck, A simple onyx, washed in the Styx, engraved with Enochian. There is most likely another identical pendant somewhere, only the one holding the other pendant can remove the necklace and refusal to obey the orders given by the holder results in pain… It's a shock collar.

I know that trying to take it off myself is pointless, but I can't help but try, sighing in defeat when I cannot. I'll have to talk to Crowley… I take another look over her, she looks awful. The bags under her eyes have acquired their own carry-ons, she probably hasn't slept since I left, I was always the one that had to tell her to eat so it's no surprise that she has nearly starved to death. I do my best to heal her hands and arms from where they are severely burned.

I look at her face, even in her sleep, her face has a small frown. I reach a single hand forward and with two fingers I rub the creases in her forehead, rejoicing when the frown begins to fade. I start to move my hand away but she follows me in her sleep with her head. That warms my slightly sunken heart, she feels safe around me… she does want me around.

I remember her previous words and lay down beside her, protectively wrapping her in my first set of wings. I ignore how much it tickles as she reaches out and pulls them closer, like how one would grab a soft blanket and hold it around their shoulders. I use a little grace to ensure that she won't awaken for at least a full eight hours and wrap my arms around her as well, preparing to go to sleep myself.

{page break}

Candace's pov

When I wake up, the first thing I notice is that Gabriel's got his wings wrapped around me. He's also snuggled against my shoulder. What the fuck. _You didn't do the thing, if you were wondering._ _I wasn't wondering, but thank you for telling me anyway. What would I do without you?_ _Crash and burn._ I move around, as though I'm trying to get up. Gabe hugs me closer. "Man, let me go. You're being a bit clingy." I whisper. "Gabriel…" _GABRIEL. WAKE UP._ _ **Ugh… five more minutes?**_ Well, at least our link is working again. _I will personally cut off your wing if you don't let me up._ _ **Shut up let me sleep.**_ _I want this fucking collar off, so wake up and help me!_ _ **Oh shit.**_

He wakes up almost immediately. "I totally forgot about the collar. Have you tried to take it off?" "Oh, yeah. I got a supersoldier to try, even he couldn't. I doubt you could either." I say. "The only thing I can think of to do is go to a safe house and summon Crowley. I know you don't want to face him." "Damn straight I don't." I'm not liking this already, and I've only got a week and a half left. "Please, don't make me go back." "Never." He responds.

It is right now that I realize I missed him even more than I thought. That automatic response, the way he pronounces his words to make everything sound like some sort of punchline, his facial expressions that almost always have some sort of little grin. I missed how he makes everything in his general vicinity smell like candy. I missed actually getting some sleep and I missed… feeling safe.

I turn around in his embrace to hug him back just as tightly, almost to remind myself that he is here, he hasn't abandoned me. "Oh, I would never just up and leave… I thought you were happy. I thought you didn't need me anymore." Gabriel whispers, softly petting my hair. Normally I would hate the fact I am being 'petted' but it's _Gabriel_.

I let out a half laugh- It's more of a huff, really. "I think it's best to assume that I will always need you around." I try to say lightheartedly. "Well duh! Every time I'm not around you've managed to almost get killed!" Gabriel jokes, making me laugh for the first time in a while. When I can finally stifle my giggles I respond, "Even if the unlikely situation does come to pass that I don't _need_ you around, I love your company." I say, sinking further into his side.

"I won't jump to conclusions and leave like that ever again, okay?" Gabriel asks, seeming to be seeking forgiveness. I hug him even tighter, although that is almost impossible at this point. "You better not…" I mutter. Gabriel's hand moves from my hair to my neck, lightly tracing the necklace, "We still need to find a way to get this off…"

"Can we get the other pendant? If you have it, you could take mine off." I ask. "That might be the only option we have, I'm not sure I could destroy it." "I'd much rather rip my throat out than work for Crowley... I'm scared." I'm not just scared, I'm fuckin' terrified. "Hey, I'm not gonna send you back there." Somehow, I feel more calm when he says that. "Thanks, Gabriel."

A thought hits me. "If I'm bound once, but I'm holding my own leash, does that mean I can't be bound again?" _That's some Meta shit there._ _Nobody asked you, Daisie._ _I know, just thought I'd get my two cents in._ _Well, you did, so shut up._ "I suppose… What are you saying?" "If you get the other pendant, I don't have to worry about anyone binding me again." It's sort of genius. Also, very stupid. If the summoning goes wrong, Crowley could still take me with him back to hell. Gabe wouldn't be able to track me. I'd be trapped.

I don't want that. That's the last thing I'd want.

"Looks like we have another stupid idea. Let's implement it."

[Page Break]

A couple hours later Gabe has all of the stuff needed for a summoning, along with demon traps everywhere. Gabriel then pulls me over to the dining room table. He plops a Bacon Cheeseburger down in front of me, "Eat." I kinda wanted to snap something back like, 'You don't get to boss me around!' but the look on his face is pure pain.

"I'm not hungry." I respond. "You need to eat, your stomach has just shrunk so small that it can't tell it needs food anymore… Two-Three bites, please. Just something." I eat as much as I can without throwing it all back up… A grand total of three bites. Gabriel seems to deflate even more before snapping away the food and plastering a fake smile on his face. "We'll work on getting your appetite back."

I hear a whistle from behind me, "I knew you were depressed but I never thought you would try to starve yourself." I turn around to see Lucifer leaning against the wall. His eyes give me a once over, hardening ones he sees the necklace around my neck, "Or get yourself bound for that matter."

While he seems to be joking, Luci isn't happy about anything going on right now. "Where's Michael?" "Behind you." Another voice reveals. Luci keeps my attention though, "So here is what is going to happen, We are going to help you get that pretty piece of jewelry off, then I am going to pay Stark a visit." Lucifer orders, I thought it was supposed to be the other way around. "Don't kill Stark, just yet. Threaten him, if you must."

Lucifer rolls his eyes at me, "Fine!" He then proceeds to mutter something that everyone in the room can hear easily with our advanced senses. "When is she going to stop loving the guy and move onto just hating him?" _It's not that we love him, we hate him alright, we just want our own chance to kill him._ _Eh, that's really true._ "So, how do we get it off? I'm losing time."

"We summon Crowley and bargain with him. All three of us will be here- he's not gonna hurt you." Gabe says. "I'm willing to give him anything, at this point." I am too… I'm not going back. "Good, because I'm never going to let you." Michael and Lucifer both let out a groan/sigh, "Can you two quit with the Telepathic conversations!" "Fine. I'm not shutting off the link, though." Gabe grumbles. "Focus, please. I would like to get this over with. The sooner I get this damn pendant off, the better."

We summon Crowley and trap him in a devil's trap. "You found my new pet! I was wondering where she went, she didn't show up in New York." "That's not why we called you. You have the other pendant, I assume?" Lucifer asks, with a threatening undertone in his voice. "Sure I do. I'm not giving it to anyone else for safekeeping." He sounds so smug, I wanna torch his ugly face. "Not yet, Candace." Gabe whispers. "Is that Gabriel? The Rogue Archangel? Wow, you've got some powerful people on your side, sweetie. I heard, a few months back, you had a bit of a power struggle, bound the warring archangels? That true?" I don't want to answer, but the threat of the shock collar activating is more than enough to force me to speak. "I-it's true. You're looking at three out of four of the archangels now." _WHY DID YOU TELL HIM? HE'S GONNA RAISE THE GODDAMN RANSOM!_ _I am fucking terrified of him, I don't have a choice._ _Are you gonna turn this into a Famine situation?_ _I'm trying not to…_

"Ah… Always gets me how much more cooperative people are when you have a little leverage… Isn't that right, Pet?" _TORCH HIM RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME-_ _SHUT UP YOU'RE GONNA GET US KILLED._ "Please don't call me that…" "Leave her alone. What will you take in return for the pendant?" Michael growls… When did Michael actually start liking me? I understand Gabe and Luci, but Mike? I'm just the Hellhound that bound him… I figured he would hate me. He's only been following Luci around to make sure that he doesn't cause mischief, loopholing the very basic orders I've given.

 _ **You didn't hear this from me… but I do want to make up with Lucifer, becoming friends with his Granddaughter seems like one of the best ways to go, besides, you're not half bad.**_ _You're in my head now too!_ _ **You don't exactly have much mental defense keeping us out. Don't worry, I'm not going to set up any links, just talking to you when I need to.**_ **Aww! This is so adorable I might puke!~** _Oh, so Luci is in my head as well._ **~You know it Candy!~**

A whistle bring my attention out from our conversation, "Woohoo! Don't start having Telepathic conversations when I'm talking to you, Pet." My fist clench at the continued use of the nickname… Lilith's nickname for me. "And to answer Michael's question… There is one thing I'll take in exchange for the Pendant. I need to open the door to Purgatory." Crowley reveals.

I don't want to press my luck but… That's it?! "Uh.. Okay! First thing, there isn't a door to Purgatory, there are thousands of Doors. Plural." I say slowly, like I'm talking to an idiot. _**Well, you are. Even though he's more of a conniving idiot.**_ **~Manipulative dumb slime.~** _ **Not to mention ugly. If he was going to choose a vessel he could of at least chose a decent looking one.**_ _...That is what Fergus actually looks like._ _ **~His name is Fergus?!~**_ That last comment was by all three Angels simultaneously.

 _Yup, Fergus Macleod._ **~Wow, and I find the name Satan annoying… At least it's cool! His mother must have hated him.~** A sharp burning running through my neck brings my attention back to Fergus. "That was just a warning, Darling. Pay attention. I asked how to open the doors."

I subtly roll my eyes, "I've only gone through about a hundred of them, know about a couple more. One of them works only for Eve, another only works if you have some piece of DNA from the one you want to let out of Purgatory, Then-" I start before Crowley cuts me off, That's not very nice.

"I don't care about bringing a single thing through, I want to let Everything through. All of the souls." Oh, he is trying to put all of the souls into Hell to make himself more powerful. **~Fergus here recently became King of Hell since I announced that I wasn't going to be taking the throne.~**

If I tell him how to let _everything_ through then that would let the Leviathans through as well… That would be detrimental to the proper function of the planet. "I- I'm not gonna tell you. It'd destroy earth." A larger shock tears through my body. It probably lasts for thirty seconds, leaving me on the ground gasping for breath. "I asked you, how do I let everything through?" I know he can't touch me, but this pendant is really getting on my nerves. "I said, I'm not going to tell you." My growls are so low, I almost thought I hadn't spoke at all. "Ok, change of tactics. Gabriel, every time you don't answer, I will shock her. It will get progressively worse until she passes out. Your choice." _**I'm sorry.**_ _Don't you fuckin' dare…_ "Gabriel don't you dare-"

Another shock, worse than the others, knocks me down again. "Quiet, pet. Gabriel, you were saying?" The shock fades out when Gabe starts talking. "To let all of the souls out, you would need to paint a certain symbol on a wall, during a lunar eclipse, it needs to be painted with a certain type of blood."

Shock starts to cross over the other Archangels' faces, I just feel even worse, my protection is going to mean Earth's destruction… Another thing that will be my fault. "Gab-" I'm cut off by the shocks returning, making me fully collapse and writhe on the floor. "What did I say about talking, Pet? Now, the rest of the information? What's the symbol and what type of blood?"

Gabriel seems to slowly realize his mistake, He quickly snaps up a piece of paper with the symbol on it, "The blood needs to be half a virgin." "Of course, would it be any other way? The other half?" Crowley asks, slightly increasing the pain at Gabriel's hesitance. By now I can hardly breathe, their words are muffled, like I'm listening through a tunnel.

"The other half is the blood of a native of Purgatory. One who has been there before." Gabriel says. "Ah! Well, it seems that our deal is almost concluded, a vial of her blood, for this cute little pendant…" Crowley decides. _Last time someone took my blood they almost killed me!_ _He doesn't want you dead. The very worst, he'll keep the pendant and go back on the deal._ _Yeah that doesn't make me feel any better._ I'm curled up on the ground, clawing at my throat, which is all bloody by now. Gabe brings a small vial and collects some of the dripping blood, handing the vial to Crowley. "Now hand over the pendant. You're not going anywhere until you do."

Crowley reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small onyx stone that looks almost exactly like the one around my neck, just with a different symbol. He tosses it into the air and the moment it leaves the demon's fingertips the pain stops. The collar almost feels comforting when Gabriel catches it.

I sigh, allowing myself to rest on the carpeted floors, ignoring the small puddle of blood forming. Lucifer steps forward, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you now?" He growls. Crowley sighs, almost like he should have expected this response. "I would say because you're our 'father' but it seems that you don't really care about demons… Just, Pet, here."

Lucifer reaches forward and grabs Crowley by the collar, "Don't call her that." He growls, his eyes starting to glow the same red mine does. Oh, so that's where that comes from. I struggle to get on my feet, "No, of course not. How about Darling? Or I could always just stick with 'it'."

Lucifer looks like he is two seconds away from smiting him before I lay a hand on his shoulder, "Don't kill him…" I wheeze, "Out of all our options… it's probably best the we keep Fergus on the throne." I say.

"Why, thank you Darling, that means quite a lot to me coming from you…" What? "You see, I had originally sent the Winchesters after you because I knew you wouldn't let a demon within fifty miles of you. The collar was just ensurance that you would talk to me… I actually wanted to make you an offer, to work _with_ me."

Okay, now I am officially confused, "I know two things about you, you can kill demons and you don't seem to give up on anything. I make one tiny, tiny mistake and it would be game over for me… I was planning on getting rid of the collar anyway."

I have to take a minute to digest this, "You wanted to work _alongside_ me?" I ask in shock. "Well, duh! King of Hell…" He says pointing to him, "Queen of Hounds." He then points to me. "I'm not Queen, that title will alway belong to my mother." "Whatever, point is, we would make a fantastic team." "This 'binding' works in my favour. If I hold my own leash, nobody else can touch me. So, I suppose I should thank you, however begrudgingly."

Gabriel takes this moment to interrupt, "Woah, woah, woah! Going to come back to you thanking him in a moment… If you were going to get rid of the collar in the first place… Why did you just shock the daylights out of her?!" He asks, forcing me to sit down before I hurt myself. I roll my eyes, I'm not that weak. **~No, you're just suffering from blood loss, malnutrition, and sleep deprivation.~** _ **How do you get injured so often?! The only things that can hurt you are iron and a holy blade!**_ _**That is outside harm, she has a tendency to not take care of herself and sell her blood to whomever needs it.**_ **~You mean Sam?~** _ **Who else would he be talking about?**_ _By the love of God, Shut Up!_ **~Don't bring your great grandfather into this.~**

"Going to ignore that you are rudely having another Telepathic conversation, What do you say, Darling? Team up to rule Hell?" Crowley asks. I consider it for a moment. "Sorry, but I don't have any interest in returning to Hell. The gig sounds nice and all, I just have trust issues with the last person to sit on the throne." I answer vaguely.

I walk up and let him out of the devil's trap. "Well, the offer will always stand if you change your mind, Co-rulers of hell…" Crowley sends me a wink, Gabriel seems to tense even more, probably because I let him out of the Devil's trap. "Until then… If either of us needs any help, I expect us to be able to call the other." I say holding out my hand. "I will take that deal."

He shakes my hand and disappears, I then turn to the Archangels' shocked faces. "What?!" Michael speaks up first, "Nothing… you just become 'friends' with a demon that was torturing you a couple seconds earlier… Nothing odd about that."

Aww! He's learned how to use Sarcasm! I shrug my shoulders, "You were the one that asked if you could make a deal… He was just playing along. Point someone to a yellow brick road, they will usually follow it." I say, sitting down once I realize I'm still bleeding and getting blood all over the carpets. "I'm bleeding." I'm a bit dumbfounded. I didn't feel anything, am I losing my grip on reality? _Wouldn't be the first time._ "I- I didn't see that coming, at all." I suddenly feel all the pain from the cuts and scratches in my neck. "Gabe… What do I do?" Grabbing at my throat, trying to stem the blood flow, it _hurts_ , a lot! "Hold on." He taps my forehead, and immediately the pain ceases, however I still feel the effects of blood loss- not to mention I'm covered in the stuff. "Let's get you cleaned up."


	34. Chapter 33

Once I'm changed into clean clothes, I walk out into the front room where the Archangels are waiting for me. "Where do you guys wanna go?" I ask. "Is Vegas an option?" Of course Gabe would want to go to the gambling capital of the world. "Ummm… If you want? Mike, Luci, you cool with that?" The others nod, and we are magically transported to Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America. Walking down the Strip (somewhat accurately named- there are a shit-ton of strip clubs here), I pass a newspaper stand. I pick one up, hoping to see what rumors and gossip has been spread. That is when I notice the date. "It's June Twenty-Second." Why is that date so familiar? "Yeah, what about it?" Mike demands. "I- think it's my birthday."

Everyone freezes. "How old would that make you, then?" Gabe asks. I do some quick math, then bust out into a smile. "My six million, six hundred sixty six thousand, six hundred and sixty sixth birthday. "And how many of those did you actually _celebrate_?" Ok, here's where it gets depressing. "Probably only four or five." I shrug it off. Then, Lucifer and Gabe grab my arms and drag me toward the Bellagio hotel. "We're gonna change that today. I'm gonna make sure that you make up for all the birthdays you missed." Gabriel smirks. "Oh, don't threaten me with a good time!"

I pull the Angels into a bar, wanting to get a drink before we begin our night. The place doesn't have many people, it's a lesser known bar. There is a couple girls, drinking and obsessing about their love life. A man and a woman who are obviously trying to hook up. Along with one man sitting quietly at the end of the bar, observing.

I recognise him easily. I walk up with a smirk, sitting down beside him without being invited. "It's been awhile, kinda ironic that I would find the Irish gambler in a bar in Las Vegas." I say, the Archangels all sit around as well.

"Candace! It's always a pleasure to see a beauty such as yourself." Patrick says, placing a kiss on my knuckles. How gentlemanly, especially for a drunken gambler. "Flirt." I mutter before taking a drink from the glass the bartender placed down. "Anyway, These are some friends of mine…" I say gesturing to the Archangels. "Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer. Meet Patrick."

Patrick whistles, removing the typical tooth pick from his mouth. "I knew you were connected… Tony Stark's ward and all…" He trails off when he sees the expressions that crawl over our faces. "Oh, I see… You two broke up…" "Something like that." Mickey interrupts before I can claw off his face.

My teeth and fist clench. Gabriel lays a hand on my shoulder and I relax slightly. "Come on! This is way too gloomy! It's your 6,666,666th birthday! You aren't going to have one this iconic again for another 60,000,000 years! It is my obligation to make this birthday absolutely crazy!" Gabriel proclaims.

Partick looks surprised, "It's your birthday?" I nod, "Apparently." "How does one forget their birthday? Even if it was forever ago." Mike asks. I didn't know that Archangels valued birthdays. _**We value the day that Dad took the time to create us.**_

Lucifer huff, "Is no one going to mention the irony of _this_ birthday! 6,666,666! On the same year I get free?!" I can't help but laugh at the outburst. "I didn't plan that if you were wondering." "Somehow, I think it was intentional." _It wasn't!_ _Shut up Daisie. He was being sarcastic, you idiot._ _Oh ...I knew that._ _Liar._

"Anyway, all this to say, We're celebrating. Any recommendations?" "I got nothing as of now, I'll try and find you if I do." Gabe begins to drag me away. "Candace, come on!" "Wait!" Patrick says, standing up quickly. "While, I have no recommendations… I do want a rematch. We can't exactly play for years… But I want to learn some more of your tricks…"

"Well… It would be no fun to play each other at this point, nothing to lose or gain. If you just want to learn _how_ I won, It's always fun to mess with the mortals." Patrick chuckles, "We could clean out all of Las Vegas, messing with some Mortals head's isn't exactly challenging."

I send him a sly wink, "I have a couple tricks that make everything more entertaining… It's always fun to see how much you can cheat before the mortals figure it out." Patrick's eyes go wide. "You were cheating? How? I didn't notice!" "Oh, I remember you saying I could use my tricks- if you noticed it and you thought it was cheating, you'd tell me. I guess you just didn't notice."

"That is a stupid loophole and you know it!" Luci leans against my side, lightly ruffling my hair. "Aww! She takes after me!" "I KNEW IT WAS FROM YOU!" Gabe yells. "I FUCKIN CALLED IT." I glance at Mike for just a second. You know how sometimes you can just tell what someone is thinking? Mike's face is practically screaming, 'I am not related to them, they were adopted. Remember that, we are not biological brothers… Not biological brothers!' _Well, technically they aren't exactly related…_ _Daisie please stop._ _ **You're taking over my job!**_ _Clearly, you aren't doing enough, I gotta kick it up a notch._ _Please. I'm trying to have fun._

"Michael, don't worry. They won't drive you be insane for much longer." "Yeah? How?" "I'm gonna get them so drunk they actually pass out." I smirk. I know that Gabe is entertaining when drunk, I wonder if Luci is the same. Gabe seems to suddenly light up with an idea. "Patrick, can you take Candace to the best casinos in town while we set up the best 6,666,666th birthday party to ever exist?"

I don't exactly think that is a high bar, not many people live this long. Patrick seems more than happy, "Drinking, Gambling and a beautiful woman? How could I refuse?" Patrick asks rhetorically. The Angels flash away. Patrick stands up and holds his arm out to me, "May I, Milady?" He asks very gentleman-like. I wrap my arm in his, "You may."

Patrick leads me along the strip. We pass the Lotus Casino but neither of us were willing to risk it, no matter how fun an eternal stay would seem. "Are you ever going to tell me _how_ you cheated?" Patrick asks, leading me into a Casino. "Tell? No. It would be much easier to _show_ you." I respond, walking up to one of the Texas Hold'em tables.

"How about I play another game, you just watch and see if you can spot any?" I propose. Patrick thinks for a moment before pulling up a chair beside me at the table. "I'll just observe for now, but I _do_ expect you to explain." Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have the dealer deal me in, the buy in is $2,000. Practically nothing when money has no value to you. I use every single trick I used against Patrick in our first game. Mind games, illusions, I look into their souls to tell when they are bluffing, I even count cards. I finish the game, all of the other players having walked away before they can lose their life savings.

As we wait for new players to turn to Patrick. "What did you notice?" I ask, shuffling the deck of cards the dealer is letting me mess with, for security's sake they have to get a new deck every game to ensure that people don't mark them. "More questions than answers I am afraid." Patrick admits.

I decide to try my hand at a magic trick. Trying to move the cards around my hand like I've seen so many of the dealers do. I end up starting a game of 52-card pick up rather than a card trick. I sigh, moving to pick up all of the cards, "How much do you already know?" I ask, picking up the Ace of Spades that landed by his foot. "One, that you are more secretive than I'm used to women being. Two, You're powerful, but number one prevents me from figuring out what your powers are, I know you're related to Lucifer apparently, but that doesn't help much." He says, helping me get some of the cards.

"And lastly…" He says, Handing me the last of the cards, "Card tricks are not your specialty." I roll my eyes, snatching the cards. I shuffle them quickly, something I actually can do, and try again. I only drop half of them this time and they all land on the poker table, meaning an easy pick up. Patrick sighs, "You're holding them wrong…" He says, taking the cards.

He holds the deck in his hand, showing where each finger is placed. "In most card tricks, your thumb or pinky will do all of the work… You decided to start off with one of the more difficult tricks that use your ring finger." Patrick says, doing the trick slow enough so that I can see it, then hands me back the deck. I try again almost getting it, once more. This time, I do it flawlessly, then again much faster.

"Let me take that back, you're amazing at card tricks." Patrick says in shock. I shrug, placing down the deck. "I'm a quick study. Tell me something once, and it interest me, I most likely won't forget." I say. New players show up at the table and I'm dealt a new set of cards, Two Aces, one of Diamonds the other of Hearts. Patrick nods approvingly at my hand. "You asked what some of my tricks were? It depends on which ones you've already figured out." I say, raising the pot.

"Not very many I'm afraid. All I know is that your Grandfather gave you his silver tongue." Patrick admits. I nod, "Do you know _what_ I am?" "You mean, you're not a fallen angel?" I shake my head. Patrick kisses the ends of my hair, "I never would have guessed, you have the beauty to rival one…" _**Hands off!**_ "Please cease this pointless flirting." I say emotionlessly. One of the players, a medium sized man with more confidence than skill or luck bets even higher. He is wearing a pair of glasses, while the others cannot, my eyes are sharp enough to see the reflection in them. He actually isn't bluffing this round, too bad he couldn't beat me anyway.

"You can see my flirting as a fake front, just a habit. Yet you can't see the real thing, pity." Patrick says, removing his hand from my hair. "I should tell you what I am, a Hellhound." I say simply. The dealer prepares to flip over the next card, I manipulate everyone, even the cameras, to see the card as the Ace of Spades. "Ace of Spades." The dealer calls out.

"What is going on? The card is obviously the three of Diamonds." Patrick whispers into my ear. "Funny things, human minds, the easily see what they want to see… What they expect and can understand. Hell Hounds will often make their victims hallucinate to make them more complacent. How easy do you think it would be for the strongest of my kind to make a couple people see a different card? Especially, when they have no expectations to begin with?" I spell out.

The dealer flips the last card after another round of bets, I make the Seven of clubs turn into the final Ace of Clubs. "Ace of Clubs." The dealer announces. The others lay down their cards and I reveal mine, four of a kind. Everyone else just stands up, noticing that I seem to have amazing luck when it comes to this game. I stand up as well, leaving all of my winnings at the table.

Patrick follows me out the door. "H-how many rounds did you actually lose… I just gave you the money because I thought you had the winning hand?" Patrick asks. "A couple times, to be fair, I purposefully made you win most of the times you should have lost." I say. Patrick shakes his head, "Illusions… What other tricks did you pull on me?" He asks. I sigh, "I Can see souls if I choose, I can also see one's true emotions and whether or not they are lying. I tend to let the people close to me have their privacy, if they wanted me to know they would tell me, but I don't care with strangers."

"So I had no chance, is what you're saying." Patrick sighs. "Basically. I am, however, curious to see how it would go if neither of us were allowed to use powers, just old fashioned mind games." _**You're going to have to postpone… The party is ready.**_ _Be there in a minute._ "It would seem that the Archangels have finished setting up the party." I say. Patrick releases my arm. "Then it would seem this is where I leave you, fallen angel." I roll my eyes at the nickname, "You're not coming to the party?" I ask. He shakes his head, "No offense, but I'm going to try and _avoid_ Lucifer."

That's understandable. Luci isn't exactly known for being overly kind. _**You're an exception apparently.**_ _I'm just as shocked about that as everyone else is!_ _ **Whatever, can I snap you to the party now?**_ _I guess._ I nod to Patrick in silent goodbye.

Almost instantly the world around me shifts. I appear it what seems to be a large ball room, decorated beautifully with red and black everything. There are only a couple tables, two to be exact. They each have black table cloths and red plates on them. One of the tables is set up for people to sit at. The other is one of those long serving table, filled to the brim with food.

Gummy Bears, Popcorn, an entire Chick-fil-a menu, Twenty different types of chocolate, a plate of Bacon Cheeseburgers and a cake. The cake is triple layer, like a wedding cake. Each layer has a different flavor, Chocolate with chocolate icing, red velvet cheesecake and then lemon pound cake. There are also a couple pies here and there. Is this Gabriel's subtle way of saying I need to gain weight?

"You look like you haven't eaten in months." A voice I would recognize anywhere says from behind me. I turn around to see that the three of them have appeared. Luci is in a white suit with red accents, perfectly complementing his wings. Mike is in all black with blue accents. It also complements his wings. Gabriel, however, decided to be the odd one out and mismatch everything. His shirt is green, coat is red, pants are blue, orange tie and yellow handkerchief. I can't help but laugh at the display, no matter how much it suits him and actually looks pretty good.

I keep looking around the room, there is a large dance floor, a chocolate fountain big enough to swim in (not joking whatsoever) and what seems like a million barrels of alcohol. "I took a brief trip to Asgard, Mead that has been brewed for 10,000 years." Gabriel says proudly. That's strong enough to make us tipsy after only the second barrel! "Yup! And I propose a drinking game!" Lucifer says, leaning against my shoulder. Why do I think that is going to be a terrible idea? "Because it is?" Michael comments.

I roll my eyes, "This is a large space for just four people…" With a snap, twelve more people appear in the room, along with what seems like a million gifts. Luca and Jesse just shake their heads at the sudden relocation. Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Calypso, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Will and Nico look completely confused. They look around for a moment before noticing the 'Happy 6,666,666th birthday Hell Puppy!' Banner.

"You dragged them into this?" I say disappointedly to Gabriel. "We both know that we would never hear the end of it if they weren't invited." Gabe responds. "And you couldn't give them a small warning?" "If I had warned them they would have brought a gift and that would take away from the awesomeness my gifts have!" "There are hundreds of gifts from you!" "Well I'm sorry! Being in your head allows me to listen to what you would want as a present! I had actually gotten all these with that stupid human holiday in mind." "I don't need this much stuff!" "But you want it!"

"You two squabble like an old married couple." Percy comments. "~Shut up!~" The teenagers all start laughing… Teenagers. _How are we supposed to have a drinking game when most of the people in this room are too young to drink?_ _ **I guess it will just be between us.**_ _Ideas?_ _ **Every time one of us hears or says the words, 'Happy', 'Birthday', 'Cake', 'party' or 'present' we take a shot.**_ With the super alcohol we might actually get drunk.

 _Do you want to make this more interesting?_ _ **How?**_ _The words 'Angel' 'Demon' 'Heaven' 'Hell' 'Devil/Satan' 'God' and anything involving fire also counts._ _ **Crap.**_ _What is said on the radio also counts._ _ **Double crap.**_ _Triple crap._ **~You two are going to be wasted.~** _**You two could always play as well.**_ _ **No thanks, someone needs to be sober enough to keep you two from doing something stupid.**_ **~Good luck.~**

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" I shout, rubbing my temples to free myself from the headache. "You should know by now that isn't going to happen." Nico comments, getting some food from the table. Annabeth rolls her eyes, "I still wish you would have told us about the birthday party, I feel incredibly underdressed." Gabe snaps his fingers and several things change at once. Everyone is now in a suit or dress and Gabe and I now have shot glasses in our hands. We both down it and it refills itself. I notice that my outfit changed as well.

I was in a simple red t-shirt and blue jeans. Now I am in a beautiful knee-length simple, one shoulder, red dress. My hair pulls itself up into a professional quality updo. I roll my eyes at the display, "You could have asked." I mutter, wiggling my toes to see how much room I have in these black flats. I guess Gabe doesn't want me even taller than I already am compared to him. I'm kinda glad it's not the same dress I wore to Opening Night of Stark Expo. "Don't worry. Now everyone's ready for a party!" _I am not throwin' away my shot!_ _Daisie, you're not the one drinking Asgardian Mead._ _JUST DRINK IT._ I glare at Gabe and we both knock back our third shot of the night.

Leo walks over to the stereo and hooks up his iPod, turning on a playlist. "We've all thought that these are songs the somehow apply to all of you, most of them are just for the irony." Leo explains as 'Wrong side of Heaven' by Five Finger Death Punch plays through the speakers. Crap. While Lucifer likes the song, Gabriel and I hate the eighteen shots that come with it. The Teenagers look at oddly when our faces pale at the next song, 'Angel with a Shotgun', and while it wasn't as bad as 'Wrong Side of Heaven' those twelve shots definitely make me feel tipsy.

"Do you guys have a drinking game going?" Luca asks, catching on. We sigh in relief when the next song is 'No Rest for the Wicked'. Mike and Luci decide to reveal exactly how evil they can be. "Yup, they have to take a shot every time they hear the words, Party, Birthday, Cake, Present or Happy." Mike says.

Lucifer smirks, "Don't forget Hell, Heaven, Angel, Demon, Devil or God." We glare at the two of them as we take the required eleven shots. "Oh!" "I will kill you slowly." "They also have to drink every time they hear anything pertaining to fire!" How does one kill Lucifer? I take my shot, thinking on it. "You can't kill the Devil." Lucifer says with another smirk. Gabe and I take yet another shot. "I AM NOT THROWIN AWAY MY SHOT!" Luca yells. "Luca? You wanna join us?" Gabe asks. "Sure!" "No. He's not." Jesse cuts in. "There has to be at least one sober hellhound here. It may as well be Luca." I groan, "TAKE ANOTHER SHOT." Leo smiles before playing the next song. "If it's something from the Hobbit I swear-"

" _ **Oh misty eye of the mountain below…**_

 _ **Keep careful watch of my brothers' souls**_

 _ **And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke**_

 _ **Keep watching over Durin's Sons."**_

"VALDEZ I WILL KILL YOU SLOWLY." Gabe shrieks before taking two shots. Mike and Luci burst out laughing and start singing along. _FORTY THREE SHOTS WHAT THE FUCK_ "DAMN YOU VALDEZ." I walk over to the drink stand and just grab a huge bottle of vodka before chugging it. "I'm not sure that counts." Nico interjects. "You gotta better idea?" I growl.

Everyone shrugs their shoulders, "You know…" Jesse starts, "It's probably a good thing I don't live with you yet…" I can't exactly say much to that. "I would just like to point out… Drinking has always been Gabe's idea and we have only gotten drunk once before!" I argue. Welp, I'm definitely tipsy! It kinda sucks that I'm a giggler when drunk.

"Hey! It was your idea to add Fire!" I take another drink. "But It was your idea to start drinking during the Dare or Dare!" "How would you know?! Neither of us know what happened that day other than what the Winchesters have told us!" "Memories kinda just pop up…" Gabe understands the reference, "Drunk pre-meds and some rubber gloves…" "5,000 people with designer drugs…" "~Don't think I'll ever get enough!~"

Both of us prepare to sing the chorus when Hazel interrupts, "Anyway! Where are the Winchesters? I figured you would want them here… Even if you are on bad terms." She asks. Everyone seems to have spread out over the past few songs, Percabeth and Jasper have made their way to the dance floor, Solangelo, Frazel and Caleo are at the tables eating things from the spread. The Archangels are also sitting down, apparently I'm the only one not sitting down or dancing.

I sit down beside Gabriel. "I do want them here… I don't think they would want to though…" I say, groaning as 'Light 'em up' comes on. _We're gonna die._ "Oh! It's your theme song!" Gabriel announces, his words starting to slur. I sigh, taking a drink whenever I need to. I never agreed to this becoming my theme song.

Gabriel seems to light up, he then snaps his fingers and the two boys appear in the middle of the dance floor. "Winchesters! Welcome to Hell Puppy's 6,666,666th Birthday Party!" I roll my eyes and take the necessary shots. Dean seems to light up at the sight of Asgardian Mead.

Dean's POV:

I really don't get it… One minute Sammy and I are resting from our latest hunt, We got sent back in time to collect some Phoenix ashes. The next moment we are standing in ridiculous suits in the middle of a ballroom. The entire room is filled with presents, food and Alcohol barrels.

"Winchesters! Welcome to Hell Puppy's 6,666,666th Birthday Party!" A familiar voice rings out, stumbling through the number and slurring our name. I notice the people in the room, Luca, Jesse, Lucifer, Michael, Nico, some teenagers. My eyes harden when I see Candace but lighten a bit when I notice a drunk Gabriel… He's alive?!

Candace smiles, stumbling out of her chair, almost drunk. "Saaaam! Deeaan! It's sooo good to see you again!" She says, walking over to us. The music changes to 'Don't Threaten me with a Good time' and every time the word 'Hell' is said the two of them take another shot. "I missed you!" She says, getting closer to us. Her eyes are glassy, as if she is about to cry.

Sam's words ring through my head- I don't care how good an actor you are, when you're this drunk, you can't fake that kind of emotion- She really does view us as brothers. It doesn't matter though, she still used us and will do anything to be the most powerful. I see that she still has the Necklace/Collar around her neck.

"Why aren't you following Crowley around, like the bitch you are?" I ask. She flinches back, like I just hit her. "We have an… Arrangement." She murmurs. "A deal? You made a deal with Crowley?" I ask, nearly growling. She shrinks back, "Yeah…" What happened to her normal sarcastic and sassy attitude? I understand why she started crying the last time we saw her… She had just gotten rejected and abandoned. We were also forcing her into her worst fear, another leash. But right now she just seems… Submissive.

The Alcohol… Whatever she says right now, while she is this drunk, will be the truth and what she really feels. Sam lays a hand on my shoulder, "Dean!" I ignore him and step forward, raising the iron dagger I have in my pocket, "What was the deal?" From the corner of my eye I see everyone else not knowing what to do… Gabe just remains calm, not even caring that I am scaring her.

No, not scaring- She could kill me in a second if she wanted to... She doesn't want to. Almost like she is letting me be mad. She steps forward, letting the dagger brush up against her neck, leaving a small burn mark. She is definitely still drunk, just no longer giggly. She seems to look down, disappointed in herself. "The other pendant…" she starts, lightly touching the one around her neck.

"For?" I push. "The door to Purgatory…" She reveals. "If it'd make you feel better, you can shove that dagger into my neck. I wouldn't mind spending my birthday in Niflheim." More thoughts seem to run through my head… ones that I didn't put there. 'She views us as Brothers…'

I remember our conversation at Bobby's, when we first found out she was a Hellhound. 'I want to make up for anything I did. Even if it's impossible.' Bobby? Why did she restore his legs? Why did she stick around after Lilith was killed? She didn't need us after that…

Another memory flies through my head… During our time in the Psych Ward. After our conversation with the doc… That was the first time I trusted her completely. At this rate, it might be the last. She told us about small pieces of her past that we didn't know before…

Why she worked for Lilith, the memories actually sent her into a panic attack! There was no way she could fake that, at least, as convincingly as she did. She also gave us why she stopped working for Lilith… one of _my_ memories.

I remember waiting for her to get done with the nurse, 'PLEASE, DON'T LET HER TAKE ME BACK!' We could hear her shout that from all the way in the other room, she sounded so frightened. I actually thought she was going into another panic attack, or that the nurse was a demon.

When she barged out of that room and ran straight into my chest… In that moment, even though it was an act, she was using me as a shield. _Me!_ The exact same way Sammy did when we were kids. 'She views us as brothers…' 'Don't let her get me…'

Okay! I get it! Whichever one of you is doing this can stop messing with my head now! _**Get what?**_ I ignore the question, "Why did you bind the Archangels?" I ask suddenly. She seems caught off guard, but answers, "To _save_ all 8.125 billion people on this planet."

I sigh, "Some part of me really just wishes that you would say, 'to be powerful' or something like that… It would be so much easier to accept." I say. "I thought it was wrong to lie…" She huffs, almost like a half laugh, "It is… but at least that way I would trust that you're telling the truth."

I was not expecting her response… "There are two sayings I absolutely love, the same sayings that made me give my Grandfather another chance… One, 'Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith, the trust part comes after'." Gabe tenses slightly at the development…

"And two, 'It's better to give someone the chance to prove you right, then make them spend eternity trying to prove you wrong…" Those… Actually make sense. But, "I did trust you… Like you were my sister. But then you proved me wrong by keeping secrets…"

"I also believe in second chances?" There is the witty response that was missing! I retract the dagger from her neck, "I, However, do not believe in third chances." I say, pocketing the weapon. A smile spreads across her face and she lunges forward, wrapping her arms around me.

"Thank you." She whispers, barely loud enough for me to hear. I try to ignore the glare Gabriel is sending me. With how drunk they are, I wouldn't be surprised if I lost my bet with Sam. They both have practically zero brain to body filters, everything they think about doing or saying, they will say or do.

Candace backs up and sends a meaningful glance at Sam. He just smiles, "I've been trying to talk some sense into this knucklehead for a while… You're forgiven." "Any chance I can get some of that mead?" This is when Lucifer unwelcomely butts in, Handing me a glass and turning to Ace. "You never turned off the radio… You're 72 behind." "Aw, shit."

I watch in horror as her tiny little form somehow consumes 72 more shots. When she's done her eyes start to cross, the two of them are beyond drunk at this point. One of the teens smiles, and she says, "Alright, alright! That's what I'm talking about!" It's a good thing she isn't in heels…

One of the girls… I completely forgot her name, speaks up. "Hey Candace! I noticed that awhile back you conveniently dodged a question, so I'm going to re-ask it!" The girl asks. She has blond hair and greyish eyes, I still don't remember her name.

Her boyfriend, I don't know his name either, looks up in interest. In fact, all of the teens seem interested, except for one girl who tries to hide her interest as well as she can. She looks like she's dating the boy with blond hair… "Sure! What ya wanna know?!"

I glance down at the drink in my hand, I don't know what is in my hand, but it's definitely strong! Candace is acting extremely drunk… "I'm just going to parrot Gabriel's question… Which one would you choose? Cam, Rogue Angel, or Deance?" "Oh, that's not a question I need to answer." "Don't make me use my charmspeak on you!" I thought she wasn't interested? Oh well.

"Would that even work?" Gabriel 'mutters' to himself. "Fine!" Candace thinks about the question… I really don't know what I _want_ her to say. "Hey! Stop! You're overthinking it! Say the first answer you stumble upon! Gabriel, Sam or Dean?" Blondy interrupts. Almost instantly Ace shouts her answer, "Gabe!" "Father, show me how to say no to this…" The Angel in question stage-whispers.

Something tells me he doesn't get an answer… That or God gave him the go ahead. "Well, looks like I got a good opportunity. Candace, in case you haven't already noticed, I definitely have feelings for you. I simply never knew when to to tell you." I feel like a complete stalker… The two of them are so wasted that they completely forgot there are other people in the room.

"I feel awful… I didn't notice…" Candace says lowly, Gabriel seems to deflate, taking another shot. "I also feel like an idiot… Going after the stupid playboy when I was in love with the person right next to me…"

Sam stands right next to me, holding out his hand. I turn around to glare at him. "They aren't Facebook official yet…" I stall, I refuse to accept defeat. Sam chuckles, "Whatever you say! 40 if you lose in the next two minutes." He proposes.

I roll my eyes and turn back around. In the two seconds I looked away they both somehow ended up passed out… from the position they collapsed I can see a spot on Candace's back where her dress has been burned through.

"Ah… fill me in?" I ask, moving to the two unconscious Immortals. "In a span of two seconds they managed to suck each other's face off and subconsciously mark the other…" Lucifer says bluntly. "What?!" "It's the same thing Castiel left on your arm." The same blond girl brushes off. Sammy chuckles again. "That official enough for you?"

I grumble and slap a forty into his hand. "Wait… The last time they were this drunk they couldn't remember a thing…" I point out. The others seem to understand, "So they are both going to wake up tomorrow morning with absolutely no memory of confessing?" What's her name says… Jason's girl… I think.

Mike reveals another problem, "But those matching marks declares them as 'soul mates'." "Not just that, they could freak out if they don't remember the Agapi being given…" Lucifer adds. The quiet emo kid speaks up now. "Is there a way you could mask it?" The two Archangels give each other a look, one that I can't comprehend. They are having a Telepathic conversation aren't they?

Lucifer finally sighs, "Fine… we can mask it for a time…" "And the catch?" Emo kid's, overly bright and sunny boyfriend asks. "Believe it or not… Agapi are quite powerful, to mask them we would have to be close by…" Michael sighs. "And each one of us can only hide one…" So these two are stuck within the same general vicinity as each other…

"What about Candace's Hellhound instinct?" Something tells me that this blond chick pays too close attention to those books. Lucifer just waves it off, "I added that little function, I can make it temporarily vanish." "Alright." "You guys are gonna be tight-knit for a while, aren't you?" Blondy's boyfriend asks. Why do I get the idea that he is a walking entity of sass? "Yeah." Michael grimaces. Emo kid speaks up again. "Can I get some of that alcohol?" "How old are you again?" Sam asks.

"If you count the time I was in the Lotus casino, I'm as old as Captain America." His boyfriend glares at him. "Really? I thought Cap died years ago." "Oh, nope. When the Winchassters met Candace in Brooklyn, she was helping Steve Rogers transition into the new century." "What did you just call me?" Nico(?) turns and, with no regret on his face, replies, "I just called you boys the Winchassters. Whether that's because of your personalities or your butts, I'll let you decide. Anyway, I'll take some of that Asgardian mead now." Oh, so there's two sassmasters now?

"Welp! While it is entertaining to watch Nico insult the Winchesters…" Oh! So that's his name! "We have two passed out immortals and we need to try and avoid the harpies getting back into camp…" Every Single one of the teenagers wince.

The archangels snap their fingers, suddenly Sam and I are back in Bobby's living room. Glancing at the clock, I notice that we were only gone for three minutes… The only proof that we were gone at all is the stupid suits. I glance at Sam, "Well… That happened." I say, walking upstairs to our bedrooms.

Sam follows behind me, releasing a yawn, "I'm beat… If we can't stand three minutes around Gabe…" I nod, then go into my room and collapse on the bed. Ace definitely doesn't have a boring life...

 **A/N: This is the best it is going to get until I advance as a writer. I have rewritten this several times.**


	35. Chapter 34

Candace's POV:

I wake up with a splitting headache. The first thing I notice is that I'm in a really comfortable bed, one that I don't recall getting into. Second thing I notice is that Gabe is curled up next to me. _Daisie, please don't tell me-_ _You didn't. Don't worry._ _Nice to know you're always looking out for me._ "Please close the curtains… and let me sleep forever." I mutter.

I hear the tell tale sound of the curtains closing… only, Gabe didn't move... "Who else is there?" "Mike and I." Lucifer's voice says. At least he has the decency to be quiet. I try to pull myself up but Gabriel's wings wrap around me, pulling me back down. I let out a huff and let the Archangel keep me there.

"That… Is adorable." Mike says from his side of the room. I still wish that I could see his wings… Luci and Mike give each other odd looks before letting out a simultaneous sigh. Uh, okay. Whatever that's about.

The pounding headache pushes me to hide my face back into the pillow, trying to keep as much light out of my eyes as possible. We were drinking weren't we? All I remember from last night is hanging out with Patrick and Gabe planning a party. "What happened?" I grumble into my pillow, happy that everyone in this room has super hearing.

"You and Gabriel played a drinking game with 10,000 year old Asgardian mead." Luci says bluntly. I was kinda hoping for more information about _after_ we got drunk. It's not exactly hard to figure out that Gabe and I were stupid.

"Hung out with Demigods and made up with the Winchesters." Mike answers. Really?! _Yup, the boys are giving you a second chance._ I let out a sigh of relief. Thank You, Great Grandfather! I try to go back to sleep, not really succeeding.

After a little while Gabe starts to stir, subconsciously tightening his hold around me. "Gabe, you need to let me go…" I whisper, more because of my headache than trying to be polite. "I don' wana…" The Archangel murmurs. I thought Angels didn't need sleep… _And we don't need bacon… It's just nice to indulge._

Loki groans, shoving his face into my shoulder. "Did we end up drinking last night?" He asks. "No, we got a hangover and memory loss from eating too much." I sass, still not raising my voice. Gabriel lifts his hand, placing it on my forehead. Almost instantly the pounding vanishes and I can think clearly.

I glare over at the other two Archangels in the room, "And you didn't do that because?" "What would you have learned if _we_ did?" Luci shoots back. That statement aggravates me for a number of reasons. He answered a question with a question, not that I can say anything there. He also is trying to take on the 'parental' role, I was able to survive without it since I was three, I don't need it now.

While the thought annoys me just a little, a greater part of me welcomes it. _Are you annoyed or happy? Make up your mind!_ _I guess I'm both._ Gabe sighs in relief after he removes his own hangover… although he makes no move to let me go. "Ah… Gabe?" "Hm?" "You need to let me up."

"On one condition!" He exclaims. "What?" I gripe. "You have to…" Gabriel says, like he is building up to something spectacular. "Just spit it out!" "Eat." He reveals. I swear, for a good fifteen seconds the English language escaped me, to the point I answered in my instinctual language, which is only a combination of growls, barks, nose twitches and ear flicks, "What?"

"I'll let you up if you promise to eat three full meals today!" Gabe says, snuggling closer. I roll my eyes at his actions, "I won't be able to stomach a full meal…" I point out. My appetite is still ridiculously small. During those two months, I was actually trying to starve myself. Not to return to the underworld, just to the point I felt nothing… Not even the pain of hunger.

"...Just as much as you can tolerate." Gabe says softly. Great… I depressed the Archangel. _Congratulations!_ _Not now, Daisie… Please?_ I get up, Gabe releasing me from his wings. The moment I roll out of the comfy bed a full plate of french toast and bacon appears on the coffee table.

Taking a quick glance around, I'm able to easily tell we are in another crappy motel. Whatever. Nothing worse than what I've already stayed in. Mike gets up from that particular spot at the table and sits on the unoccupied bed. Why didn't they put us in separate beds to begin with?

"You two are adorable." Luci says casually as I take a small bite of the cinnamon covered french toast. This would go really well with- Snap. Right beside the plate, there now stands a grande Starbucks pumpkin spice Latte. "It's like you read my mind!" I say, picking up the drink. "Not like it's very hard…" Gabe smiles.

I shrug my shoulders, taking a sip of the drink. "One question… What now?" I ask. I've lived my whole life with a goal, either I was following one of _her_ orders, or I had something to do. Now, the Apocalypse is done and over with, SHIELD has stopped sending me missions… What do I do?

"You regain all of that weight and remove those bags from under your eyes." "Well… That's something…" "And it's what your next mission is. Regain all your strength and health. I'm sure by that point, SHIELD will definitely have a mission for you." Gabriel adds, his mouth full of bacon. "Besides, don't you wanna spend time with us?"

My face pales at the prospect… somehow I don't see this as a good idea… "What are you thinking?! I have a great idea!" Gabe says. "Oh, I'm just scared at this point." "Don't be! Have any of you guys been to Disneyland?" All of us shake our heads. "No… Where are you going with this?" "Looks like we're going to Disneyland!"

In the blink of an eye, we're standing outside the gates to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It's gorgeous, the gardens are exquisite, the buildings all lined up to form Main Street… There's so many little shops, and we all agree that we'll look in them later. Once we get to the center of the park- a statue of Walt Disney holding hands with Mickey Mouse- Gabe asks, "Well… Where would you like to go first?" I glance at the map we grabbed before walking in. "Tomorrowland looks fun. You guys in?" "Only if we can go on the Haunted Mansion ride after." Lucifer says. "Fair enough."

There's so much stuff in Tomorrowland, including some of the best pizza I've ever _bought_ , awesome stores packed to the brim with Star Wars and Toy Story merch, and very cool rides. Space Mountain quickly became one of my favourites. Lucifer liked that one a lot, but was definitely anxious to run to New Orleans Square.

Gabe kinda cheated and materialised some fast passes for us for the Haunted Mansion ride, but nobody seemed to notice or mind. We also got to skip the line for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride- which was alright, because I wasn't willing to wait an hour and a half for it.

We also stumbled upon an overly choreographed Jedi light saber fight. We didn't even need the Archangels' stupid mind reading to do this. We each grabbed a saber and showed up the performers. We all start this fourway sparring match.

Lucifer ended up with a red lightsaber, matching his wings. Mike, blue, Gabriel gets orange. I know for a fact that one of the Archangels messed with my lightsaber, because it kept changing color, Blue, Green, Purple, Red, Orange, Black, pure white, several times it went rainbow colors. My money's on Gabriel.

We each walk in one of those stupid circles, glaring at our temporary enemies. Gabe is straight across from me, Luci to my right, Mike to my right. Mike moves first, lunging forward as if he were to lop off Gabe's head. Gabe ducks and swings towards Luce.

After that we are all in the middle of a light saber fight. I feel like I have a slight advantage, what with two archangel camps and demon training. Sometime during our sparring matches we end up choosing sides. Gabe and I against the apocalypse brothers.

It doesn't take too long before we have an audience, parents and children finding our match far more entertaining than the choreographed one. Without their angel powers, I can actually keep up with these three. None of us are used to fighting with toy light sabers, so I also have the advantage there. These guys have only ever used angel blades, I've learned how to fight with practically everything… well, everything you can find in Tartarus.

Mike and Luci decide to parallel the amazing battle at the end of Episode Three, quoting it near word for word as Gabe and I break off from the main fight. I'm more impressed that those two know every line… Gabe, I would understand, but Mike and Luci? They give Mike Anakin's lines, making the whole thing feel backward.

After those two are done having their theater moment, we return to our fight. Gabe quickly disarming Mike while I am left to deal with my Grandfather. I really want to slide a 'I am your grandfather' somewhere here… but it just doesn't flow as easily as it should.

With Mike out of play, Gabe and I double team Lucifer. By now their are little kids cheering, for which side I can't tell. Luci takes a brief glance at all of the little kids we are entertaining before shifting his stance ever so slightly.

It isn't a big enough change for the audience to notice, but Gabe and I see it instantly. Luci is letting us win! He has an offensive stance most of the time, his feet will turn by only a couple degrees when he is defending. This is neither! The way he is bending his knees and how his dominant foot has been placed slightly _behind_ his lesser one all put him at a slight disadvantage.

While he could take humans easily like this, it's such a slight weakness. It, in fact, barely lessens his movements at all! But we have all gone through similar training, meaning even the slightest of advantages, even this small, would win us the match.

Gabe lunges forward, taking a swing at the small spot Luci has now left open. Luce blocks the attack, leaving me open to swing my own lightsaber, stopping it half an inch from his neck. The crowd starts cheering as Luce drops his light saber. The group starts to disperse but one little kid stays behind.

"Hello." I say, crouching down to his level. "HI!" The little boy says back, almost jumping up and down. He looks like the opposite of Jesse, Blond hair, blue eyes. He is wearing a jedi cloak/Robe/Jacket. "I'm Candace, What's your name?" I ask, the archangels just stand awkwardly behind me. Guess children aren't their strong suit.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Felix." The little boy says in what sounds like a slightly british accent. He is very well mannered for an eight year old. "Nice to meet you too!" I glance up at the parents, who don't seem at all worried. I guess they are assuming we work for the park. I just don't see that happening…

"Where are you from?" I ask, mostly the parents. If I ask a child they are very likely to shout out their home address. "We are here on vacation from London." The mother says, she has long curly red hair, very obviously dyed. Although she has brown eyes.

"Okay, Felix." I say turning so that I am crouching by his side, facing the Archangels. "You saw the battle right?" "Yes, Ma'am!" That is adorable! Good job, Felix's parents, you've raised an awesome young man, Good job. "Okay, which one of us do think was the 'bad guy'?" I ask mostly because, we never really gave each of us roles, just a friendly sparring match with toy sabers.

"Those two!" He announces, pointing at Mike and Luci. Oh, the irony. "And why do you say that?" I ask, pure curiosity driving me. "They were fighting against you… The only time you should touch a girl is to give them a hug!" He declares passionately. Now that… Is adorable. He is going to be quite the charmer if he keeps this attitude throughout life.

"You're right…" I suddenly get an idea. "Do you want to use the Force to put these bad guys in their place?" I ask. He nods his head furiously. "Okay! But you're still a padawan, it's going to be difficult." I say, making it seem impossible.

"I wanna try! Please?" Felix asks. _**What are you doing?**_ _Making this kid's day. I'm going to need your help, telekinesis isn't my thing._ _ **Fine… what is the plan?**_ "Okay…" I get close to his ear, quiet enough that the apocalypse brothers can't hear me.

"Now, I'm going to help you control the force, give you a boost. You won't be able to do it without my help… At the count of three, push your palm towards the villains and they will go flying. Okay?" I whisper. _**Oh, that's what you're planning. I'm game.**_ "Okay!"

"1...2...3!" We both push out our hands and Luci and Mike go flying due to Gabriel's subtle snap. The two land on their butts a few feet away. Far enough to make Felix believe it happened, but close enough that the parents can think it's fake. "That was awesome!" He laughed.

 _ **A little warning next time…**_ _But then your reactions wouldn't have been as genuine!_ **~He is a kid! I don't think he would have even noticed!~** _Whatever, And can you two get out of my head!_ _ **Notice how you didn't mention Gabriel.**_ _I've accepted that he isn't going to leave. I could beg on my hands and knees and he wouldn't even consider moving._ _ **That is a pretty picture though…**_

Not to mention that I don't _want_ Gabe to leave again… I don't know how I would handle that. "Ma'am? Are you okay?" Felix asks, putting his hand on my forehead. "I'm fine, why?" I respond, concentrating really hard on making my external temperature 98.6 degrees fahrenheit. No need to scare the kid.

"It's just, your face is really pale, you look exhausted and I can see your ribs!" Felix explains. I guess I do kinda look like a corpse. "I had a bit of a rough week. Thanks for your concern, though!"

I ruffle his hair, suddenly realizing how thirsty, hungry and tired I am. I kinda want a coke… Suddenly an idea hits me. I pull out the park passes and hand them to the family. "Here you go, now you guys can skip all the lines, VIP passes."

The father looks at me in shock, "I can't- We can't accept these." He says pushing them away. I just brush it off. "Don't worry about it, we've hit everything I wanted to do here, we are heading west, hitting everything worthwhile." I say.

The family thanks me profusely before walking away. "So I take it you want to go somewhere?" Michael asks. "Yup, Atlanta, Georgia." I answer.

"What the Hell is there?" Luci asks, smirking at his own little joke. "Only two things I want to do, The largest Aquarium in the World and The World of Coke." So I can't swim, I still like sharks, dolphins and I really want to see a whale shark.

Gabriel smirks, snapping his fingers. The world shifts around us, we are now standing in a ridiculously fancy hotel. It has white silk sheets, fluffy comforters on the beds and feather pillows on the beds. The in room, hotel kitchen has marble countertops, and white cabinets.

Everything in the room is white, apart from the lamps, pillows, a couple designs on the comforters, accents on the sofa and the blackout curtains. All of that is blood red. I glance out the large glass door that lead to the balcony. We are overlooking the city, on what looks to be the top floor.

From the time difference between California and the eastern seaboard, it's night time here. The waxing gibbous moon barely peeks out from behind the clouds, shining over the city. If I didn't know any better, I would assume we were in New York, not Atlanta. The lights from each and every building glimmering like the stars we can't see.

New York is the city that never sleeps, Atlanta is almost just as bright. Only the lights do begin to fade after a certain hour, the city's inhabitants going to sleep, leaving only the thousands of street lights to pollute the air. This is amazing…

"Yeah, luxurious but not completely over the top… I could have gotten us the unlimited room service." Gabriel says, lounging on that sofa that looks just as comfy as these super expensive beds. I roll my eyes at the Trickster.

"You're right, it's not like you can't just get anything room service could ever provide at the snap of a finger." I say sarcastically. We obviously can't go to any of the attractions today, I guess we'll just have to wait for tomorrow.

Luce and Mike sit down at the oak dinning room table while I dig through the closets. They have been recently filled with fresh clothes that all mysteriously fit me perfectly. I'm not even going to wonder how Gabe knows my sizes.

I dig past all of the stupid lingerie and pull out some simple PJs. I relax in the bath, one of those awesome ones you can almost swim in before getting into my PJs. I quickly dry my hair and slide into the super duper fluffy and magnificent queen sized bed.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Gabe says, before a plate of food shows up on one of those 'breakfast in bed' plates right next to me. "You promised! Eat the food." Gabe orders. I roll my eyes and turn over to see what it is. At first glance it looks like an ordinary burrito, wrapped so tightly I can't tell what is on the inside.

After a tentative bite I realize It is absolutely amazing, Like all of Gabriel's food. I have no idea what it is the burrito. It looks like just regular chicken and some sauce, but I can't identify it for anything other than amazing. Too bad my stomach will only let me eat a couple bites.

Gabriel sighs and snaps away the meal. "It's okay… We're still working on that." He mutters to himself. I roll over in the bed and work on getting to sleep. Gabriel gets up from the other queen sized bed and sits beside me on mine in an extremely casual manner.

That familiar warm and safe feeling wraps around me as he brushes his fingers through my hair. That is all it takes to send me off to sleep. And like always, my guardian angel blesses me with a nightmare free sleep.


	36. Chapter 35

I wake the next morning, finding that I am still wrapped in Gabriel's wings. It's strangely comforting, it feels… right. Gabriel is asleep still. I still find it odd that he sleeps at all…

"Don't eat me, skittles." Gabriel mumbles, barely audible. It takes everything I have to keep from falling over laughing. Gabriel dreams about the revenge of the sweets?!

Michael and Lucifer, who don't indulge in sleep like their 'brother', don't even bother and immediately start chuckling. "This happens almost every night, all of them are extremely entertaining." Michael tells me.

"But I don't like spinach…" Gabe mutters. "It's also fun to try and figure out what the Hell he is dreaming about." Lucifer says. These two have way too much free time. I'm kinda glad Gabe makes me have dreamless sleeps.

"It's obvious." I say confidently. Luci moves his hands in a 'you have the floor' movement. "Skittles are mad at him for eating their brethren, so they were going to eat him. He asked for a way to survive, they said he could switch to a spinach diet." I answer easily, each word making me feel more silly.

Mike nods his head, "That's probably more likely than my idea…"

"Why don't you try and appear in his dream? Scare the shit outta him, get him to wake up?" I smirk. Lucifer just nods and, probably a millisecond later, Gabe jolts awake, gasping for breath. "What the fuck, Lucifer?" Mike and I are cracking up, Gabe glaring at us, and Lucifer's just standing in the middle of the room with the biggest evil grin on his face. "I am so glad I did that." "I'm so glad I thought of it!" I screech.

In the blink of an eye, I'm pinned under Gabe on the floor. "You… I should be angry at you but for some reason I'm not." He whispers in my ear. I roll my eyes and flip him over so he's underneath me. "At least you have a reason to be." I let him up. I turn toward the other Archangels and they just shrug, glancing at each other. It's time like this I wish I had their Telepathy.

Suddenly, there's the smell of delicious French toast on the coffee table. If my appetite was bigger I would definitely have eaten all of it. I manage only to eat two slices, though. _**We're getting there.**_ "That's pretty good!" I say, with my mouth full. "So. Plans for today?" Mike asks, not impressed by my manners.

I swallow the last bite I'm going to be able to stomach. "There are plenty of things to do here, only a couple I want to… The largest Aquarium in the world, mostly for the dolphins and whale sharks. Not to far from here, there is this giant fountain that sprays directly from the ground. I want to try and get all the way accross staying dry. Then, the real reason I wanted to come here… The World of Coke."

Gabriel seems to light up, "There is a World of Coke?" "Yup, at the end of the exhibit, they let you taste every single Coke product ever invented." Gabe starts bouncing on his feet, "Which is why we are saving the best for last." He instantly deflates, it looks kinda like a balloon…

"Okay…" Gabriel mumbles, upset that he isn't getting to go to the world of sugar and caffeine quite yet. "We'll go tomorrow." I promise, grabbing an outfit from the dressers, fully stocked with Archangel made clothes. I head into the bathroom, quickly showering and getting dressed in the orange T-shirt and black pants. Orange? I grabbed Red!

I head out of the bathroom, "Gabriel!" "Fine." And just like that, my shirt is Red again. Gabriel prepares to snap us to the aquarium. "Wait! I don't care how discrete you _can_ be. Snapping into the aquarium is going to attract some attention."

"Then how are we supposed to get there?" "We walk, like normal people." I point out. They each give me the exact same look. I don't even have to have Telepathy for this. 'Since when are we NORMAL?' "Since now!" Gabe sighs. "Of course. Fine. We'll walk. But I'm not gonna like it!"

I roll my eyes and we walk out the door of the hotel room. I immediately start gawking at the hotel. The entire hotel may look like a rectangular prism on the outside, but on the inside it's… I can't even describe it.

If you were to walk into the lobby and look up, you can see all the way up to the top floor, it's open. The doors to each room can also been seen from the lobby. Each floor, slowly moves inward, like a pyramid, almost- more cylindrical? Staring downward from the ledge on the top floor…

I continue to stare in awe as we step into this clear elevator that lets me watch as we get closer and closer to the ground. After looking for a minute, I realize that the bottom floor, it's like a giant party room. There is a pool, bar, restaurant and what looks to be a Chinese style river/fountain. All on the bottom floor.

"I know, right? My safe houses are so much better!" Gabriel says as the elevator opens. I just raise an eyebrow. "There is the mansion in the Hamptons, The hotel in France, beach house in Jamaica, A couple in Siberia, Norway, a nice little spot in the Grand Canyon. Oh! And I can't forget that other hotel in Hong Kong!" Gabriel starts to brag as we walk out the front door of the lobby.

I'm going to ignore the fact that Gabriel just ignored the Valet, bragging about all of his private property. "And that alternate dimension?" I ask, once we are out of earshot of the mortals. "Yeah, that one too." I never left the hotel room, so I actually can't judge. The rooms themselves were amazing.

We start walking and within five minutes Gabe and Luci start complaining. "My feet hurt!" "Why couldn't we just fly there?" "I'm tired." They sound like five-year-olds. "Seriously?! I didn't complain _at all_ during 'Training camp Gabriel' or 'The Devil's training regimen' but then you start whining after a five minute walk?!"

The two of them shrug their shoulders, "You never finished 'Training Camp Gabriel' by the way." Gabe kindly points out. "Whatever." Mike takes this completely different, "Two archangel camps huh?" He asks. "Yeah, I joked once about how all I needed was training camp Mike and Ralph."

"I can't speak for Raphael, he is a bit busy with the civil war in heaven, but I've been kinda bored. I wouldn't mind." Mike offers. "Wait, Wait, Wait! I accept, of course, but backtrack! There is a Civil War in heaven?!" I ask, shocked. "Yeah. Since neither Mike or I can go _back_ to heaven, there's a power struggle going on, Castiel vs. Raphael. Lots of dead angels…"

"Is it 'can not' or 'will not'?" I ask, mostly to Mike, because I already know Luci's answer. "... Will not." "And I don't exactly blame you. Isn't it rather _humiliating_ to be bound to _hellspawn_?" I say, quite sarcastically. "Who would you guys prefer on Heaven's throne, anyway?" Lucifer asks, he doesn't exactly get a vote, anymore, does he?

I think about it for a moment, "From my options? I would choose Castiel." "Why? I thought you hated Cassy." Gabriel reminds. We've stopped moving towards the Aquarium at this point. "Well, from my observations, his ideas have helped and benefited humanity the most."

Luci rolls his eyes at my explanation. Right, humans are like slime to him. "So you don't want a civil war in heaven. Correct?" Mike asks. "Yes." "And the only way to stop that is to declare a winner, right?" Luci adds. "...Yes." Gabe seems to understand what they are getting at.

"And you want Castiel to win?" "...Yes." "So Raphael needs to be stopped?" "What are you getting at?" I ask. "So we are going to stop Raphael." Mike declares. "Yeah, well, we can't kill him." I point out. "We could trap him in that Father-forsaken cage." Luci suggest. "That is a temporary solution to a permanent problem, he will get out eventually."

"Then what do you propose?" My grandfather gripes. "We could bind him to me…" "NOPE." They all say simultaneously. "What's wrong with this idea?" I ask, confused. "It's a complete last resort!" Mike says. "This is our last resort! Believe me, I don't like it either, but it's our only choice." I argue.

"When you bound us you were under excruciating pain for five minutes! Can you handle that again?" Luci points out. "Then binding only one Archangel will be significantly easier." I say logically. "I don't like this idea…" Gabe says, most likely remembering the last time he helped me with Archangel binding.

My voice lowers significantly, for some reason, I can't yell at him right now. Through his words I can tell he knows this is the only way, he just doesn't like it. I take his hand, "If I could come up with any other plan, I'd use that. Right now, I'm coming up blank. This is our only hope… I can deal with a little pain."

The memory of the pain fills my mind for half a second. It was worse than swimming in the Phlegethon, but not nearly as bad as the worst pain I've ever experienced… I know that It will end. I think that is what made _her_ so bad… The horrible pain, along with the knowledge that it was going to be forever. Physical _and_ Psychological torment.

Gabriel, reading my thoughts as always, seems to become even more determined to make sure this doesn't happen. "Right, _you_ are pulling a blank. As much as I hate saying it… The Winchesters are probably working on a plan as well, why don't we see what they have?" "Alright." In the blink of an eye, we're transported to, well, wherever the fuck Sam and Dean are. We are in the Impala… Somewhere. Sam and Dean in the front seats, Bobby, Gabe and I end up in the back. Mike and Luci land in the streets right next to the car, having to fly to keep up.

Dean slams on the brakes, "Holy Shit!" The car screeches to a stop on the side of the road. "Umm, hi?" I squeak. "Warning would be nice." Bobby mutters. "Whatever, What is your plan for the Civil War in heaven?" I ask, getting straight to the point.

This sets Dean off, "I don't care about the stinking war! I care that Castiel teamed up with Crowley to Win!" He bellows. "What?" "Yeah! They are going 50/50 on the souls in purgatory!" Well, Crap. "Castiel is going to let the _Leviathans_ out?!" I shriek in terror.

"What in the world is that?" "Before my Great Granddad made the first man or angel, he made the first beast. A monster so terrifying that he created Purgatory to keep it contained. It's a vicious monster that can't be killed and likes to eat anything… It has a certain taste for Hell Hound." I say, not being able to stop the shiver that washes over me at the memory of being eaten alive… Well, I was in the afterlife- not sure if alive is the right word. Still hurt.

"Okay, so Leviathans are bad. We are trying to get Castiel to stop from inhaling souls from Purgatory then giving the leftovers to Crowley. Can you help with that?!" Dean asks, testily. Aww… he doesn't know whether to feel betrayed or worried about his boyfriend. "They are so close…" Gabriel agrees. If only Dean would suck it up and confess already.

This is when Luci and Mike knock on the windows. "Hey, so do they have a better plan or are we sticking with binding Ralph?" Mike asks casually. "You're binding another Archangel to yourself?!" Sam asks, concerned.

Dean seems to take this even worse than Sam does. "Not only is that reckless and dangerous, the last time you bonded with Archangels, these guys, you ended up in excruciating pain!" Deja Vu anyone? "I can deal with a little pain! I'm going to bind Ralph, order him to give the throne of heaven to Castiel, stopping the Angel slaughter and Castiel will have no reason to open the door to purgatory!"

"There's an inherent flaw in this- we have a major time limit. If we fuck this up, Castiel will still have the souls, and Raphael could still be running free." Lucifer points out oh so helpfully. "As much as I hate to say it… Lucifer is right. We got twelve hours until the eclipse." Mike says.

The eclipse is today? I thought it wasn't for another month or so… I need to pay more attention. "Yup." Lucifer agrees. "Stay out of my head." "Nah." I roll my eyes at my ancestor, "I'm not that old!" and return to the problem at hand.

"We got twelve hours, okay. The Archangels and I will get the ingredients for this binding spell, while you guys work on stopping Castiel."

"Sounds like a plan. A stupid one, but a plan nonetheless." "Good luck…" And just like that, we're zapped out of the Impala. We land in a small field in the middle of nowhere. "Oh, well that's quite helpful. Thank you." "You're welcome. List of ingredients. You will need: The Archelon bone, which we already have some left over, some odds and ends we can pick up almost instantly…" Gabriel starts listing.

"What do we need?" I hurry along, mentally counting down, eleven hours forty seven minutes. "If Lucifer needed the most tempting thing, Michael the strongest, what heals the most?" I ask, how ironic that the Archangel of healing is in a Civil War. "The Golden fleece." Lucifer answers, chilling mid air with his hands in his pockets.

"Okay, simple! We head to Camp Half-Blood and get permission from Chiron to cut a small sliver off." I say. "Which brings us to why we are here…" Mike says ominously. "Just spit it out already!" "It can only be cut with a Hydra fang… more specifically, it can only become weak enough to be cut through by Hydra venom."

I sigh and pull Hellfire out of my boot. Great. "You going to help?" I ask. "It would be smarter to split up, Mike will go with Gabe, I'll stay with you and hunt a Hydra. They will collect the other ingredients." Luci says. I nod, sounds like a decent plan. I should be fine with hunting a Hydra with my Grandfather… but why do I absolutly not want to leave Gabe? It's not like I just won't see him again… right?

 _ **Stop being over dramatic and go hunt a Hydra.**_ _Right. ..._ _ **Don't think that I want to leave to leave you either, you're still weak. If it wasn't for a whole bunch of stupid ancient laws I would be hunting down the Hydra and you would be getting the new ingredients.**_ _Yeah, I get it. Now go, your face is scaring off all the good game._

Gabriel immaturely sticks his tongue out at me before disappearing with Michael. "I think we should track down that Hydra now… and I doubt that requires time travel." Lucifer chuckles. It's nice to be around people that understand my humor, that would have flown right over- Stark's head. Why does it still hurt to think his name?

"Why won't you let me kill him?" Luci retorts. "Why won't you stay out of my head?" I shoot back. "Why haven't you learned how to protect your thoughts from those you don't wish to hear?" I'm sensing a pattern. "Why hasn't anyone taught me?" _Nice, throw the blame on him!_ _Not now, Daisie._ _ **When am I going to be allowed to get rid of her permanently?**_ _I will go away permanently when Candace doesn't need me anymore!_

"You've already completed 'Devil's training regimens', ask Mike, Gabe or Ralph to add it to theirs." Luci says, plunging ahead into the thick woods of wherever we are. I sniff the air, changing my direction slightly so we are heading in the direction of the nearest donut store… For some reason a Hydra is always hanging out around a Monster Donut. They have good donuts there, too…

It's not too long before we arrive. It's a quiet, unassuming store, but it reeks of monsters. There's suddenly a spray of acidic poison from behind us- I whip around and bring out Hellfire, slicing at the nearest head. "You need to cauterise the decapitation wound!" Lucifer yells from behind me. "Don't say that like I'm stupid- I'm not stupid!" I scream, lighting up my hand with Dragon's fire. "You get the fangs and a vial of the poison from each head, I'll kill it." "Copy that." Luci responds.

Ugh, this thing has the most disgusting stench… Remind me to never hunt down Hydra unless absolutely necessary. _Copy that._ _Not now, I'm trying not to die._ I chop off the next head and torch the stump. The neck falls to the ground, limp, and I move on to the next. There's a pile of heads next to Lucifer, and I'm felling them almost too fast for him to keep up. "Don't worry, I'm doing fine."

Finally, enough heads are out of commission for me to reach the body and stab Hellfire into the Hydra's gut. The entire thing dissolves into monster dust, and I run over to help Luci get the fangs and venom. Cutting up monster bodies is so satisfying.

"I wanna make a sheath. Keep some of the poison in the fang." "Ok." I grab one of the discarded heads and slice off some of the skin before stitching the edges together and heat-tempering it. "Instant sheath!" It's wide enough for me to make a double-bladed foldable Fangblade with the Hydra fangs.

I grab an older silver knife that's beginning to tarnish and melt it down for the folding handle, mounting the Fangs on either end. Once it cools, I grab it by the center and heft it around. It's perfectly balanced for me. "Let's go get the fleece shred." Lucifer says, transporting us to the outermost borders of Camp Half-Blood.

I test the borders of the camp- still quite solid, thankfully- and one of the patrols comes around to let me in. "I need to speak with Chiron." I say assertively. "Sure. Come on." At least I'm respected by _some_ people… _I think they fear you, more._ _Maybe… shit._ I follow the teenager to the Big House, and Chiron's there waiting.

"Miss Armina, how lovely of you to visit. I assume you need something?" "Yes. I need a bit of the Golden Fleece for a binding spell. Is it alright if I take a small piece?" He stands for a moment, then nods. "Raphael giving you a bit of trouble?" "Yes. He's trying to take over heaven, which won't be good for humanity or the Angels. He's got sort of a bad rep." "Of course. You know where Thalia's tree is, right?" The same tree where Zeus' daughter fought off monsters to help two other demigods into the camp?

Yeah, I know where that is. _She_ ordered me to chase them and hopefully kill them- at least _she_ knew the one who'd bring the Oracle's prophecy to life. "Yes. Thank you." "You're welcome."

I'm respected by some of those who know what I am… hated by those who don't. How strange. I shift to my furred hound form and run to the tree on the border. The friendly neighborhood drakon who guards the fleece stands down, seemingly knowing that Chiron gave me his permission to cut the fleece. I grab the small vial of Hydra poison, dripping it onto a corner of the fleece, before slicing into it and letting the rams-skin fall into my hand. Lucifer appears behind me, and in yet another blink of an eye, we are transported to Michael and Gabe's location.

"You have all the other things?" I ask breathlessly. "Yep. What's left of the Archelon shell, you have the fleece, we got some belladonna nightshade from Apollo and Artemis' home island, the blood of Ralph's true vessel… We're good to go." "That's lovely. We've got five hours to bind Raphael as well as stop Castiel and Crowley from opening the Purgatory gate." "Binding Raphael isn't the hard part. With all our powers combined, it'll be simple. Finding Cas and Crowley is much harder- they're holed up somewhere, and it's Angel-proofed." Mike says.

"I could find them. You said it's only angel proofed? Crowley wouldn't be counting on me to come and foil his plot." I point out. "Where's Ralph now?" "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He's not exactly hiding." Lucifer informs us. "Let's go."

{page break}

We bust into the office building where Raphael is hiding, and I immediately set a ring of holy fire around her. "Oh, lovely to see you again." She smirks. "It's been quite a while." "Sure it has. But, let's be honest, You were never one for sentiments." Gabe retorts. The ingredients to the binding spell appear in my hands, and I combine them in front of me. _**At least you know the spell this time.**_ _Yeah, that's true._ "Adiuro vos Raphaelem Archangelum." _This one's so much simpler!_ _I'm thankful for that._ Once I finish, that same searing pain courses through my body. It's not as bad as before, though, so it doesn't drain me entirely.

"Are you okay?" Gabriel asks, concern flooding his voice. "Yeah." I look up and see Raphael's wings- they look like a blue-tinted snowy-owl's, all six of them. Silently ordering her to get into the vessel Gabe made. "Stay here until otherwise instructed." Then Gabe snaps me to just outside where I found Crowley's hideout.

But once I get past all the salt and devils' traps, as well as the angel warding, it's too late. The eclipse ended two minutes prior. Castiel opened the Purgatory gate. I was so close… I notice Dean and Bobby staring at Castiel oddly. There's such a strange energy emanating from him, why is it familiar? "You can't imagine what it's like. They're all inside me. Millions upon millions of souls." He says.

Yep, he did it. And of course Crowley has to sass his way out. "Exit Crowley." I can't shadow travel away… there's no shadows! "I missed something, Castiel, what's going on?" I ask lowly. "You're afraid, because I won." There's a dark figure behind Cas, it stabs him in the back, but when Castiel pulls the angel blade out and Force-pushes the attacker against the wall behind me, I can clearly see who it is. "Sam?"

Cas is still monologuing to Dean and Bobby. "You're not my family, Dean. I have no family. And, Sam, I'm so glad you made it! But that angel blade won't work. Not anymore. I'm not even an angel anymore. I'm your new God. A better one. So you will bow down and profess your love unto me, your Lord. Or I shall destroy you."

A moment passes, then Bobby kneels down. "This good? Or do you want the whole 'forehead to the carpet' thing?" He glances at Dean and Sam, who start to kneel as well. I remain standing. "No, get up. What's the point if you don't mean it- You fear me. No love, no respect… Just fear." "Damn straight. You're mad with power!" I snarl.

The 'new and improved' Castiel turns toward me. "Watch your tongue, or you might lose it." I merely raise my eyebrow toward him. _I'd love to see him try. We can still function without speaking. We still have our growls and barks._ _True._ "The Castiel you knew is gone. Don't try to bring him back." "So what are you gonna do, kill us?" Dean asks. "No. You were some of my favourite pets before you bit me. I don't have a reason to." Oh, well that's reassuring.

"Castiel…" I call for his attention, once I know I have it I continue. "All of those souls you just swallowed… Not all of them were souls. A good portion of them were Leviathan. Beasts your father _created_ Purgatory to contain… and you just let them all out." I say, hoping to get him to see reason.

"I am stronger than my father… I can keep them contained." He argues after a moment of thought. I nod, "Okay, What about _Jimmy_? Is your vessel strong enough to contain all of those souls? Or is he going to burn up like Lucifer's Vessel, Mike?" I ask.

Castiel understands my words, he just doesn't want to believe it. "I am strong enough to keep Jimmy from collapsing." He answers, starting to sound like a broken record. "Castiel, _why_ do you want this power?" I ask. "To defeat Raphael and return Heaven to it's former glory."

Oh, well. "Raphael has been bound, to me. I have him on standby until I figure out what I want to do with him." I say. The humans in the room don't know what to do, at least they are smart enough not to interrupt a conversation between immortals.

"And why did you bind another Archangel to yourself?" Castiel asks, his interest piqued. "So that you would win the war in heaven. I would have told Ralph to stand down, letting you ascend to the throne…" I answer honestly.

"I sense a 'but'." "The reason I wanted you on the throne was because of your morals. Everything you did was for the good of humanity and the Winchesters… your morals have changed." "I gained clarity! Why should the lion stoop to serve the ant?"

"You Gained power! Power corrupts and Absolute Power corrupts absolutely!" I shout. "You have no right to speak on the matter! You have the Archangels on a leash!" Castiel yells right back, only he switched to Enochian in rage.

I do the same, "Why do you think I am so careful _not_ to give them orders! The only orders I have given them is to not harm anyone or to fight. Ralph has been told to wait until I figure out what to do with him! That is all I have told them to do!"

Castiel takes a calming breath, speaking in English once again. "Regardless, the Eclipse is past, the souls are mine." He declares. "Are you really so misinformed? The Eclipse is the most powerful door to Purgatory, for it it a two lane street. It is not hard to find an entrance only door." I say, trying not to remember all of the time _she_ would force me through one.

"Who ever said I wanted to find a new door?" Castiel reveals. "Cas, come on! Please!" Dean begs, betrayal showing on his face. "We can turn this around!" This is really getting to him… _Gabe._ _ **Yes?**_ _Is it possible for you to link me up with Castiel?_ _ **That's a lot of power you will be connected to… Can you handle it?**_ _I'll be fine._

"Cas…" Sam speaks up, "You have nothing to say to me Sam, you stabbed me in the back." Castiel cuts off. _**You're linked up.**_ _Castiel!_ The angel in question turns to me sharply. "What did you do?!" I play with the connection, pushing my consciousness through, trying to hear his thoughts like Gabe can with me. 'Let us out!' 'Let us out!' 'Let us out!'

Hundreds of voices are whispering the same thing to him, over and over again. Leviathan. _Put the souls back in Purgatory! They will destroy you!_ "You do not give me orders!" He growls. _Look at Dean!_ He doesn't move. _LOOK AT HIM!_

The Angel glances at his charge for just a second, only to not be able to look away. Not from the look of absolute betrayal and pain. _Remember everything you did for him? You fell for him, in every way, You betrayed heaven. You pulled him out of Hell! What does that mean if you betray him now? Right now, when he NEEDS you by his side?!_

"Get out of my head." He orders, but it's lacking the bite it should. _Now remember everything he did for YOU! When you turned on heaven he gave you a place to turn to! If you would have asked he would have done ANYTHING to help you in the Civil War. He is even trying to get over decades of society's rules drilled into him by his father to accept that mark on his arm!_

I send a small flame towards Dean, 'Don't hurt him!' dominates Castiel's thoughts. The flame burns his sleeve, revealing the handprint. "Does that mean nothing to you?" I ask, in barely a whisper. I can see the resolve on Castiel's face start to crumble, shattering.

Hope fills Dean's eyes as he sees it as well. I push just a little further. _And even worse, how much is it going to hurt Dean, if not only you betray him, but the Leviathan start to destroy you from the inside? He will feel the pain of your destruction through the bond you placed on his shoulder._

I can see the tears starting to well in Castiel's eyes, I'm breaking him… "You better hope this is the last time you see me… For your own sake." He says before disappearing. And he's gone… I was so close...

 **A/N: Don't till me! I'll post a couple chapters to make up for my absence.**


	37. Chapter 36

I pace back in forth of Bobby's living room as the boys and Archangels watch the news. "Sudden deaths of some 200 religious leaders are currently under investigation. The vatican has yet to issue a statement, but some are already calling this an act of God."

Throughout the day I continue to pace back and forth as the boys just work dutifully on their car. The Archangels don't really know what to do either. The link Gabe set up is still going strong, at random times I'll get snippets of whispering from the Leviathan in Castiel's head.

'Castiel' Wow… That was a creepy whisper. The Archangels haven't been able to think of anything. "I was almost able to convince him!" I growl, punching a wall, leaving a scorch mark. "Two more minutes! That's all I would have needed! Then the idiot goes and runs off!"

"Because he knew his resolve was breaking." Lucifer says calmly. It's amazing how unresponsive the hunters are to having three Archangels on their sofa, including the Devil. "Where's Ralph?" I ask, noticing how the final Archangel is missing.

"You told him to stay put until you give him another order…" Mike answers. So he has just been standing there for hours?! I can't help the laugh that escapes me at the thought. "What do we do?" Sam asks.

"What can we do? He's God!" Dean says, grabbing a beer from the fridge. "No, He's not!." The archangels seem to growl. "Our father is a million times more powerful than that mutilated Angel." Gabe finishes. Something about his eyes get me… How close was he to his little brother before this? **~Very.~** _ **Sam-and-Dean close.**_

"I was close… Very close actually. I could hear his resolve crumbling. It wouldn't be hard to tear it all the way down, I just need uninterrupted time with him. Dean close by would also help." I say, "Or…" I whisper to myself.

"Wait… You have more ideas? What are they? Anything would help at this point!" Sam insist. "Two… We could kill him, which I refuse to do. Or Dean could… No, that's a stupid idea. Just talking to him is the best course of action."

 _ **What's the bad idea?**_ _If Dean were to accept the mark then Castiel would feel remorse for betraying him…_ "You're right, that is a stupid idea. But it would work." Gabe says out loud. I glare at him. "But Dean isn't willing or ready!" I argue.

Lucifer sighs, "Okay, I guess we are just going to talk to the crazy Angel." I hold my head as another Leviathan-based message leaks through, 'Mistake' 'Let us out!' 'Let us out!' 'LET US OUT!' "Are you sure you don't want me to dissolve the link?"Gabe asks.

"No, at least I can keep track of things this way." I brush off. "The Leviathan are getting close… Most of his Vessel has been dissolved…" I update. "Even if we _can_ convince Castiel to give up the souls, How are we going to find the Idjit?" Bobby asks.

I sigh, "I don't know…"

[Page Break]

I continue to pace back and forth as Dean watches a video… Castiel killing a senator. "I don't see the point anymore… The Cas we knew is gone, and he isn't coming back." Dean says, drinking the rest of his drink before pouring some more.

"Nothing is impossible when the word itself says I'm possible." I mutter, still trying to figure out how to track Castiel. While he has his aura concealed to anyone… He can't hide Jimmy's scent. "Do you have anything of his? Something he would have touched? Maybe I can track the scent." I ask.

"Nope!" Dean says, downing another glass. "The mark on your arm! It works like a GPS most of the time! What about that?" "I haven't accepted it! And after this I don't know if I will…" Great! Sam walks back in from whatever he was doing outside. _**Praying to Cas.**_ _Oh._

Dean hold us another glass for Sam to take… "Only if you turn that off…" He says pointing at the computer where Dean is watching Anime Porn. Huh, I was able to walk back and forth and not even notice… Dean closes the laptop.

They both sit down and drink. I resume my pacing. We are all interrupted by a familiar voice, "Sam… I heard your call." Castiel says. He is covered in blood, has more blisters and skin blemishes than Luci did… He falls, catching the wall to keep himself standing, "I need help."

[Page Break]

We are back at Crowley's lab and Castiel is on the ground, leaning against a wall to keep himself upright. "I'm sorry… So, so sorry." He whispers to low for the humans to hear. I place my hand on his shoulder. _You were doing what you thought was right… but you don't need the souls anymore. You have already won heaven, if you promise to keep the morals that made me want you on the throne in the first place._

He nods and I back up, turning to the wall of the building. I grab Hellfire from my left boot, making sure that it isn't the Hydra dagger I have in my right. Then I cut my hand. "Woah, woah, woah! What are you doing?!" Sam asks. Dean crouches by Castiel, they have a small conversation, Dean trying to forgive Castiel for his mistake.

"The spell, The door _to_ purgatory can be opened anywhere anytime of the year if you have the right ingredients, the other Spell is like the main highway, this is a back road." I say, starting to paint the symbol on the wall.

I gesture behind me to the wall of ingredients Crowley seems to have. "Get me some Moondew and Unicorn Blood." I order, knowing that they will most likely be there. Sam scurried to get the ingredients. "The moondew is the liquid form of a flower that only blooms in the presence of the full moon. It is basically a replacement for the Eclipse, not nearly as strong so it only opens the door to go _in._ The unicorn blood is pure enough to act as a replacement for Virgin Blood." I explain, tracing over the symbol with the two liquids.

"How did Crowley get Unicorn blood? Wait, backtrack, Unicorns exist?!" Sam asks. "Yes, they do. They are very hard to find unless you know where their breeding grounds are. And for how Crowley got it, It is a blessing if willingly given, curse if forcefully taken… But both would work." I say, trying to not think about how many Unicorns have been slaughtered to send _me_ into Purgatory.

I finish up the last of the symbol, "Castiel, you ready?" The angel in question nods and stumbles to his feet. "The Leviathan work kinda like an Ant colony, their 'queen' gives its orders to its generals who then go and direct the troops. The order right now, is to 'get out'. So they are attacking you from the inside. Most likely targeting the vessel and your grace." I answer simply.

Castiel pales slightly, before hurrying to stand in front of the symbol. "Aperire ostium et purgatorium." I say and the symbol starts to glow, opening into a blue, swirling portal that started so many of my nightmares. _Gabe, you there?_ _ **It's insulting that you assume I ever left!**_

"Okay, go ahead. And be sure to get rid of them _all!_ " I tell Castiel as he starts releasing the souls and Leviathan. After several moments of glowing blue lights spilling from Castiel's mouth and chest, shooting into the portal, everything calms down and the portal closes.

Castiel pants, while falling to the ground, most likely exhausted from the energy he just gave away. It's going to take him time to adjust to not having all of those souls powering him. He collapses back to the ground. Only the whispering of the Leviathan don't stop…

"They are still there!" I shriek. And without all of those souls giving him the extra juice to contain them… _Gabe, get Lucifer and Mike in here now! We need to get these things out of him before they destroy the rest of him!_

The said Archangels appear in the room, surrounding us. "There isn't enough time to open another portal… Even if I would let you give that much more blood. The only option is to save Castiel, then deal with the Leviathan Apocalypse." Gabe says with a sigh.

Yay! "Whatever, how do we get them out of Castiel?" I ask. "Push them out with our grace…" Mike says. The three archangels here all push their palm towards Castiel, almost instantly he heaves over, puking up the black blood of a Leviathan… Ew.

The blood flows down into the drains in the floor, which connect to the county sewer pipes, which flow to the filtration plants, which flow right back into the city water supply. We are going to have Leviathan everywhere within a couple of days! There is no way we can get all of them before they disperse across the country.

I worry about Castiel, "Are you okay?" "Alive… which is more than what I deserve after my actions." The angel responds. Good, regular Castiel is back! "Yeah, well. Use this second chance to make up for it." I say, Dean helps him stand up straight.

I get an idea. "Raphael! Come!" I say, within seconds the Archangel is standing a few feet from us, in the new vessel I made him. I'm so glad we gave him his old male vessel, It bugged me that he was using a female when he is a male himself. Well, I guess angels can be gender fluid when they want.

"Ralph, Castiel. You two are in charge of putting heaven back together and making it beneficial for _humans,_ like it was designed. Ralph, you will listen to Castiel's orders as if I were the one giving them. You two can start by getting Castiel back to health, then helping stop the Leviathans." I order. I'm ordering Ralph more than Castiel, Castiel is only going to listen to Dean, but Dean seems to like this plan.

Ralph seems to explode, "I refuse to take orders from some stupid Hell Spawn who is pretending to know what is best! If y-" "Shut up." And like that his mouth snaps closed. Wow, that is satisfying. "Those are your orders."

I feel a vibration in my pocket. Pulling out my phone, I notice that there's a blocked number trying to call me. "Castiel, I'm sorry. I've gotta go." I apologize, it's kind of rude to leave him right now while he is so weak. I'm sure Dean will take care of him. He nods hesitantly and I shadow travel outta there, so I can talk on the phone without too many prying ears. Mike, Luci and Gabe follow. "Gabe, SHIELD's trying to call me. What do I do?" "Answer the damn phone!" I guess that was an obvious question.

So, I pick up. "Armina here, who is this?" "Candace Armina? We need you to come in. I know you're probably stuck saving the world again, but we've got a problem on our hands. We might need someone supernatural to save our ass." Phil Coulson's voice comes from the phone.

"What's going on? Did P.E.G.A.S.U.S backfire? Don't ask how I know about that." I can almost hear the stress in Coulson's voice. "No. Barton's been compromised." Everything around me freezes in time. "When and where do you need me?" I ask hoarsely.

"We've called in the Black Widow and Dr Bruce Banner, as well as Steve Rogers. They're all in Berlin right now, taking down a supposed Norse God named Loki." _**Oh, he's the one... I stole his Identity.**_ _Well, good job…_ "They have the enemy, why do you need me?"

"Director Fury believes that you will be adept in getting the needed information from him." Phil answers cautiously. Oh, so they think I'm good at torture… That's Luci and Dean. _**Hey!**_ _Your thing is just desserts._ _ **True.**_ "Shall I meet them aboard the first helicarrier?" I inquire. "That'd be wonderful." "I'll be there within twelve hours."

{Page break}

 **Steve Rogers' POV**

We load the 'Norse God'/Alien into the Quinjet Romanoff brought. We, meaning, Myself, Iron Man and Agent Romanoff, before she puts the plane into autopilot and sits in the back. Of course, I can't help but ask Iron Man a few questions. "You're Tony Stark, right?" "Yeah." "Fury didn't say he was bringing you into this mission."

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you." He retorts. Does Stark have a comeback for everything? "I know another person who won't be happy with you on this mission." I mutter. "What? Come on, everyone loves me!" Is he really that naive? "I'm sure she would have wanted me to do this." I swing a fist at his unprotected face, feeling a sick sense of satisfaction when I feel the solid cheekbone under my knuckles.

Stark rears back a few feet, a betrayed look on his face. "Except for her… I thought she died! I saw her on the top of the Empire State, I saw her jump." I raise my eyebrows. "What do you think drove her to such despair? I'm disappointed in Howard Stark's son. I thought he'd be as great as his father. Looks like baby Stark is just a shadow, trying to be as great as Howard hoped he'd be. Failing miserably the whole time." I can tell I hit a nerve. "I knew your father. He wouldn't've wanted his son to be a playboy and heartbreaker."

Yeah, I went there. There's a chuckle from the alien-in-question, Loki. "What's so funny?" Stark and I chorus. "You're so petty." Loki nearly giggles. "Boys… This isn't the best place or time." Agent Romanoff breaks in. She's cut off by a loud clap of thunder. Our prisoner pales. "Scared of a little thunder?" Stark taunts.

"Oh, I'm just not overly fond of what follows." Suddenly, the back of the quinjet opens and an extremely tall man- I'm tempted to say alien- grabs Loki and jumps out again. "Oh, no…" "Who was that?" I ask tentatively.

"And then there's that guy. Think he's a friendly?" Stark replies sarcastically. "It doesn't matter, if he saves Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost." "Wait, we need a plan of attack!" I call out. "I have a plan: Attack!" With that, Iron Man's faceplate comes back down over his face, and he jumps out of the quinjet. How did Candace fall for this douche? He is reckless, disrespectful and overall heartless.

I grab a parachute and prepare to jump after him. "Cap, you might wanna sit this one out." Romanoff says, taking control of the jet. "I don't see how I can." "These guys come from legends- they're basically gods!" "There's only one god, Ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." I respond, jumping out the bay doors.

When I land, I can see that, I guess it's Thor, and Iron Man are fighting, Nearly evenly matched, with nobody watching Loki, who's up on a hilltop with two ravens circling overhead. How ominous. What if we cracked Stark's shell of armour and exposed the creamy center? How would he fare then?

I throw my shield at the two fighting idiots. "Alright! That's enough!" Catching the shield as it bounces back, I jump off the fallen tree I landed on. "I don't know what you intend on doing here…" "I've come to put an end to Loki's schemes." "Then prove it. Put down the hammer." I try to reason with Thor.

"Um, no, bad call, he loves his hammer!" Stark tries to stop me, but gets knocked away. "You want me to put the hammer down?" Thor bellows, then jumps into the air with his huge hammer raised.

"Oh shit." I whisper before 'turtling' under the vibranium shield. The resulting shockwave levels trees for at least a kilometer around. I'm surprised the shield even stood up to that amount of force… "Well, are we done here?"

{page break}

We get back on the quinjet and finally arrive at our destination- SHIELD's massive flying fortress, The Helicarrier. Looks like I lost that bet to Fury… I'm definitely surprised. The other agents make sure Loki's safely locked up, then we, that is to say, all the people who were called in for this mission- minus Stark- walk into the main command center.

I begrudgingly hand Fury his $10. He smiles and pockets the bill. "So… Loki's gonna drag this out. Thor, what's his play?" I ask, beginning to take on the role of commander once again. "He has an army called the 're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract." Ok, I'm finding this a bit hard to believe.

"An army. From outer space?" Banner asks, "So he's building another portal. That must be why he needed Selvig." "Selvig?" "An astrophysicist." "He's a friend." Thor adds. Agent Romanoff speaks now. "Loki's got him under some sort of spell. Along with one of ours." None of this is making any sense to me.

"I wanna know, why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here…" "We shouldn't be focusing on Loki. The guy's brain is a bag of cats, you can smell the crazy on him." Doctor Banner says.

"Take care how you speak. Loki may be beyond reason, but he's of Asgard, and he's my brother." "He killed eighty people in two days." At least Agent Romanoff is logical here. "...He's adopted." Thor admits.

"Iridium… What did he need iridium for?" Banner questions. Stark chooses that moment to walk in with Agent Coulson, muttering something between them. "It's a stabilizing agent." he calls out. "Means the portal won't collapse like it did at SHIELD." He turns to Thor now, "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing."

I think I understood that reference, _Point Break_ was a film, right? I just don't understand why Stark called Thor that. "Also, it means that the portal can open as wide, and for however long, Loki wants." For some reason, Stark turns to the people sitting at the computers on the deck below us. "Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails. Those men are playing GALAGA! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did." The ones who were pointed out by Stark stand up, one lights up his hand, and fries the computer, before walking over and letting us all out of whatever hallucination we were seeing.

It's Candace and someone I've never met. She looks a bit better from when we last met in Central Park, not as skinny and the bags under her eyes have begun to fade. "Hi." She waves at me. Then she turns toward Stark, stares at him for a moment, then slaps him.

"You! If Fury didn't have some valid reason to bring you in you would be ashes on the floor right now. And I wouldn't want to do that to Pepper, your _girlfriend_. I wouldn't want to break her heart..." Candace begins to ramble, her words were first in English, but as her voice gets louder she start switching languages. I recognise a couple, French, Spanish, German. Natasha stifles her giggles when she starts ranting in one language- I'm guessing Russian.

I don't think Candace even realizes she isn't speaking English. Eventually her voice changes to some liquid language that even Natasha didn't seem to understand before switching again to purely growls, barks and nose twitches. Not until the man who was playing Galaga with her places a hand on her shoulder does she calm down. "No, and stay out of my head." She grumbles. Oh, so it's either Michael or Lucifer… Please be Michael.

Candace spins around, suddenly ignoring him, and asks, "Well… Could I get an introduction? I didn't get the files. I know Steve, I introduced him to the new century. I know Microphallus, he broke my heart and is currently fucking the CEO of his company. I know Coulson, we worked together in the Arctic getting Rogers excavated from his icy prison. I know Fury, he was _going_ to recruit me for the Avengers, before I got an important phone call and had to leave mid-introductory speech."

She turns toward Dr Banner. "Doctor Bruce Banner." he introduces himself. "Quite nice to meet you." I love how polite she sounds. It's nice to meet someone who lived in the same time periods I did, because at least we know the same references. She then faces Agent Romanoff. "Agent Natasha Romanoff." A brief and to-the-point introduction. "I am Thor Odinson!" The Asgardian shouts. "Nice to meet you as well. I'm Candace Armina. I have pyrokinesis, enhanced senses, and hallucinatory powers. This is my Grandfather. So, what were we talking about?"

Stark's still standing by the console, covering his eye like Fury. "How does Fury keep an eye on everything?" Agent Hill, who was standing with Fury and Coulson, responds, "He turns." "Sounds exhausting." Stark wisecracks. "Ok, so the rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube." "When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Hill asks.

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?" I'm starting to get sick of this guy. "Does Loki need any kind of power source?" I question.

"He's got to heat the cube to one hundred twenty million Kelvin just to break through the coulomb barrier." Banner responds, thinking. "Unless Selvig figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect." "Well, if he could do that he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet." "Finally! Someone who speaks English!" Stark crows. I really don't like this guy.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." Of course, he goes there.

"Thanks…" Dr. Banner looks down shyly. "Doctor Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join." I decide to speak up. "Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon." "I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And, I'd really like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys." Oh, oh, oh! I know that reference- _Wizard of Oz_!

"Monkeys? I don't understand…" Thor starts. "I do!" Everyone looks at me oddly. "I, understood that reference." I say awkwardly."Candace?" Tony says, trying to get her attention. "Leave before I change my mind and kill you." "Shall we play, Doctor?" Tony asks, gesturing to the door to the lab, suddenly in a hurry. "Let's play some." Banner responds.

{Page break}

 **Candace's POV**

Imagine my anger when I see Tony Stark pointing out Luce and I sitting at a computer, a SHIELD computer, playing GALAGA. Well, to be fair, we were masquerading as other agents, but I sorta blew our cover when I fried the computer.

It was funny watching him squirm as I revealed the secret that he was probably trying so hard to keep. 'I know Microphallus, he broke my heart and is currently fucking the CEO of his company.' I'm gonna amp up the revenge factor later on. Once Stark and Banner leave the room, I relax a little.

Not because the Man behind the Hulk is gone, but the Man who forfeit all rights to my heart is gone. I'm still not over him, apparently. However, much of my infatuation seems to have been replaced with anger.

Natasha Romanoff looks at me oddly, but decides to leave me alone. I don't want to be on her bad side. Steve's doing alright. It would seem as though he read the books- he looks at Stark with such distaste. I'm glad I'm on his good side. "Stay here and don't kill anyone." I tell Luci before following Coulson.

I walk out with Coulson. "So, have you asked him to sign your vintage trading cards yet?" I ask him. "No… I'm a bit shy. I mean, it's _Captain America_!" "I have another little fact you could add to your arsenal, although you might not want to tell anyone."

"What is it…?" He's rather reluctant to ask. "You remember Dr. Erskine, the man who invented the Super Soldier Serum? The man who died just after Rogers' procedure?" "Yeah." "The reason he died, was because he sold his soul for the formula." "I thought, he died from a gunshot wound- a Hydra agent shot him in the side." "I hate to tell you this… I was the agent, the bullet was basically the 'ten years are up' notice. _She_ was angry when I 'died'. She stuck me in Niflheim for an entire earth decade."

Coulson's face sinks a bit. "I'm sorry to hear that." "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't've ruined your childhood." I reply softly. "Wow, I seem to fuck things up more than make them better." "Is that why you jumped off the Empire State?" Coulson puts a hand on my shoulder. "I was going to… Then a friend showed up, I ended up falling more than jumping. I hadn't eaten in months. It wouldn't have done any good anyway.

"I've got three archangels bound to me, if I died permanently, they'd all be set loose, the apocalypse would start again, Everyone would die. But I'm glad I can't die permanently. I have friends, like you and Fury, and Barton- well once Barton's been recovered- the Archangels, the Winchesters, my friends at Camp Half-Blood…"

"We're glad you're still here." He whispers. "Thank you. Now, would you like for me to call Gabe and Mike? Maybe they could help with our little predicament." "That'd be nice, but let me get it cleared with Fury before you do anything." "Ok."

"Hey!" I call before Phil can get out of my sight. "Give me the cards, I'll have him sign them for you." I say. "Oh, Thanks." He says, handing me the cards and going to find Fury.

 **C37**


	38. Chapter 37

I head back into the conference room where everyone except Banner and Iron Douche are having a 'get to know you' moment. Natasha just wants to know fighting styles, Thor and Steve are the ones who want to know personaility. Luci is just swirling around and around in the chair.

I shake my head, sitting down in between Lucy and Steve. "Must you be so immature?" I ask. Luci spins around once more, letting out an over exaggerated "Wheeeeeee!" I just let my head drop to the table. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?" Steve asks. Oh no.

"Lucifer Morningstar." He smirks, holding out his hand. Steve seems to freeze, "Ah- I- Um-." "If you believe in God, you must also believe in the Devil." I add. "You've already met a hellhound…" The room seems to freeze for a moment. "Ah… What?" Natasha asks. Oh… I should probably explain this with Bruce in the room too.

"Thor, you know the story, yes?" I ask. "Geri and Freki have shared many a tale about their youths with you and your siblings, after that I don't know." Thor reveals. Lucifer leans forward, "What are my Grandkids like?" "Pranksters." Thor and I answer in unison. "Not as bad as You or Gabe, but pretty bad." I add. "I should've seen that coming."

I nod, "They definitely take after you… I'm still wondering how the Hell you are my Grandfather." "Well, you see-" I slap my hand over his mouth, "No need to respond! That was rhetorical." "Okay, so let me get this straight…" Natasha says, pointing to me, "You're a Hellhound, monsters are real… And the devil is sitting at the table, swinging in an office chair like a five year old."

"Yup! But sweety, call me Lucifer, Devil and Satan are stupid nicknames you ants gave me." Lucifer says. "You don't care that I call you Luci." I point out. "You're family! Family gets nickname privileges, Candy. The older Winchester views you as his little sister, so he calls you Ace, for example."

"Why Ace?" "Last three letters of your name." "Oh!" "Mikey hasn't thought of one yet, but Gabey calls you Hell puppy." "I hate that nickname." "No you don't, oh! And that one kid, Nico? He calls you Hot Dog behind your back." "I'm going to kill 'em." "You spent months trying to keep him alive, so, no you aren't."

"Hey!" Natasha shouts. "Explain." She orders. It's so weird not being in charge. **~Imagine how I feel.~** "Get out of my head. Anyway, I'm going to do the shortened version. 6,666,691 years ago, while Luci was rebelling he needed soldiers, so he made some, AKA Demons, my parents and Cerberus. 6,666,666 years ago, my five siblings and I were born."

"About 6,666,660 years ago, all of my older siblings left Luca and I to fend for ourselves." I hold up a hand, letting it catch on fire. "This flame can kill Demons, so naturally, Demons wanted to control it. 6,666,655 years ago, I acted as decoy while my brother, Luca, escaped. I spent the next 6,666,653-ish years in Hell. Following _Her_ orders."

I nearly wince, stupid memories, stupid, stupid memories. Steve winces as well… Oh right, that is included in the book. "The last two years have been crazy, Ran away from Hell, met Gabriel, Gabriel teleported me to Afghanistan where I helped out Iron Douche. We worked together to build the Mark II suit and my rocket boots and headset. We beat that slime formerly known as Obadiah. That is to say, I torched him, while Tony stood by."

"I met the Winchesters, got killed by an Angel named Castiel. Gabriel brought me back from the underworld, I saved the younger Winchester's life, Sam. The Winchesters, Gabe and I all went to kill _her,_ Accidentally letting Luci here out of his cage."

"Got kidnapped by Lucifer, had a little family reunion, met back up with Luca. I was quite beat up after that so Iron Douche, who was my roommate at the time, put me under house arrest. The Stark Expo opening, I joined back up with the Winchesters to stop Luci from fighting with Mike, or as you call the Apocalypse."

"I adopted a child, who is currently exploring the world with my brother." "-And a Cambion-" "I beat the actual Saint Patrick at poker." "-You cheated-" "Not cheating if you don't get caught. Then I robbed a museum of its Archelon shell, while Jesse, the child I adopted, stole the Carnotaurus femur, I purposely let Lucifer kill me, called in an old favor from Thanatos, grabbed a Pomegranate from Persephone's garden."

"I bound Mike and Luci to me and gave them a simple order, 'Don't fight and don't harm humans.'" "Bound?" Natasha interrupts. "It's exactly what it sounds like." I respond. "It's not that bad, we went to Disneyland this week." Luci brushes off.

"Anyway, Stopped the Apocalypse, Iron Douche broke my heart, spent a good amount of time getting Steve out of his icy prison, _I_ got bound. The Archangels and I worked together to get me off my leash- we all hate Fergus anyway. Then I realized there was a Civil War going on in heaven. So we helped Castiel win that, bound Raphael to me, then Castiel accidentally let the most ruthless monster God, my great grandfather, ever created out of Purgatory… That was earlier today."

I finish my story, mostly ignoring Luci's interruptions. "There are new monsters roaming the earth?" Fury asks, getting back with Phil. "Yup, nasty creatures called Leviathan, we are going to help the Winchesters with the Leviathan Apocalypse after your Alien Apocalypse is done." I respond.

Silence fills the room, "How many Apocalypses have you experienced?" Steve finally asked. "Lost count." Luci takes to spinning in the chair again. "Will you stop acting like a child?" I ask. "I'm immortal, I'm technically still in the early years of my life!" Luci sings.

"By that logic Thor and Loki are Seventeen!" I shoot back. "That's a lot of kids for a seventeen year old." Luci says, still spinning in his chair. "More than half of them are Gabe's fault." "Probably."

This is when Banner and Microphallus come back in. "Why were we called back?" Tony asks, giving me a look that obviously says he wants to talk to me. **~Can I kill him?~** "No, and get out of my head." Everyone pretty much ignores the exchange.

"Unimportant." I begin subtly heating up the air around Iron Douche. It doesn't take long before he's sweating like he's got something to hide. Apparently I'm the only one who noticed him placing a decoder on the console, I'm just trying to out him at this point. "I'm hot…" He complains. He glances at me, but I just shrug innocently. "I ain't sayin' 'hot damn'."

"Anyway," Fury interrupts, "Ms. Armina, I asked you to be brought in for two reasons. We need you to find the cube, using _your_ methods." Oh, so he either wants me to torture a God or sniff out an alien power source.

I roll my eyes and then close them, almost like I'm going to sleep. "Are you taking a nap?!" Stark asks. "Give her a minute, Microphallus." Luci shoots back. Iron douche, Thor and Steve brought Loki in, mixed with their smell is another… So that must be Loki's. I follow the scent around the world.

"Loki only spent about two hours in Berlin, before the he bounced around the country, staying in dozens of underground labs. I'm 97% certain they were old Hydra labs. Judging on how often he switches location the Tesseract will be moved again in the next couple hours." I say opening my eyes. "So… We have about two hours, give or take, to find the Tesseract. Doctor Banner, any advice?" "Call every lab you know, tell them to put spectrometers on the roofs and calibrate them for Gamma rays. We can rough out a tracking algorithm and have the location within half a mile." "Sounds good."

"I would still like you to talk to our captive, perhaps you can dish out the Tesseract's scent and sniff it out the same way." Fury orders, oh that feels weird after being in charge for so long. That last person to order me around was _her_. **~You will have to say her name eventually.~** "Shut up." I growl. Luci spins around in his chair again, "Just pointing out the obvious!" He sings.

I stand up, sending another glare at Lucifer. ~ **Oh, full name. I'm in trouble now!~** I sigh, calming down slightly. "I seriously doubt that I'll be able to do that, Director. Loki is known for being book smart. I have not been trying to hide my presence, he surely knows what I am and has taken steps to counteract my abilities." I say.

"Well, the rest of your family is either stupid or taking orders from demons, kinda like you were before Lilith was killed." Tony points out. I visibly flinch at the name. Why does one stupid name affect me so much?! It shouldn't! She's dead! She shouldn't still have this much power over me! ...I shouldn't still be afraid of her.

"He might just assume that there is a demon deal on the Helicarrier." Tony finishes, not noticing my flinch. I return to ignoring him after that. "I'll talk to Loki, but first I would like permission to bring in the Archangels Michael and Gabriel." I ask. "That's going to be fun! Do you think Loki would help Gabe and I prank Mike?!" Luci asks excitedly. He is like a child!

"Yes, you can bring the Archangels. I don't see a reason to deny help from them." Fury says. _Gabe._ "Here!" A voice calls from behind me as if I'm calling roll. Behind us, Gabe and Mike are playing Galaga on the same computers Luci and I were. Gabe must have fixed the one I fried.

Taking a quick glance at the score… What is it with Archangels and always beating my score! I'm the master at Mario Kart though. Castiel is just standing awkwardly beside them.

"I take it you were listening?" I ask. "When am I ever not listening?" Gabe shoots back. "Touché." I then turn to Castiel. "Hey Castiel, I'm happy you're on your feet and all, but why are you here?"

"I brought him, duh." Gabe says. Castiel does look a lot better than he did a couple hours ago. Less bloody, standing up without help and his grace is all new and shiny. If I could see his wings I would be able to give a much more detailed description of his health. **~He is fit as a fiddle.~**

"Everyone, the sassy one is Gabriel, The other one is Michael and the baby in a trench coat is Castiel." I introduce. "Castiel… As in 'Killed you before' Castiel?" Natasha asks. She seems to be adjusting quickly. Banner is still horribly confused.

"Yes-" "Can we _please_ get back to business?" Fury interrupts. I roll my eyes, "Yeah, okay! I'll go interrogate the God." "Does nothing faze you?" Tony asks, I decide to not completely ignore him. I'll answer some questions, I simply will not initiate conversation.

"Not really, after you become Facebook friends with, Two, three, four, FIVE, Rulers of the underworld. A God of Mischief and Lies doesn't seem that threatening." I answer, actually having to count.

"So, Crowley and I. Who are the other three?" Luci asks, stopping his annoying spinning. "Hades, Persephone, and Loki's daughter, Hel." I answer easily… That isn't a good thing.

"Just go talk to Loki." Fury sighs. I made the Director of SHIELD tired of me! _Achievement Unlocked!_ _Shut up._ "Fine, fine! I'll talk to the eyepatch- Sorry! God!" I call "Well if you're on good terms with his daughter, he should be a bit more accepting of you." Natasha points out. "I suppose you're right. Although I think Gabe had more to do with Hel than Loki did." Everyone glances toward the Archangel in question. "No comment." he raises his hands in an 'I surrender' gesture. "I'm gonna go interrogate the psychopath." "Have fun sitting in a dark room by yourself." Tony laughs. "If you weren't important to this mission, you would be branded and dead by now." I growl. He shuts up immediately.

I follow Loki's scent to the door of the huge holding cell. It doesn't take much to overload the wires and open the doors. As I walk in, slowly, deliberately, Loki stands up to face me. Gabriel stole _his_ identity? Why?

"I would imagine it's because we possess similar powers." Loki says out of nowhere. Oh, they're both just as annoying too. _**Plus, I'm a million times stronger!**_ I really need to learn to defend my thoughts. _**I'll teach you later.**_

Loki lightly chuckles at what he heard, "I take it you have questions?" He asks. "Just one actually." I see a look pass over his face, I correct myself. "Well… Only one I'm going to ask. If I were to ask you something like 'Where is the Tesseract?' I wouldn't get an answer."

Loki smirks lightly and I continue. "I want to ask, how? How did Asgard's top magician, scholar and crown prince, fall so far? What changed? How did Thanos screw you up so badly?" Oh, the hypocrisy. The only difference between us is that I wasn't good or pure to begin with…

Loki's smirk falls instantly, I guess I knew more than what he was expecting. "I don't think your feeble mind could ever understand." I'm older than you bucko! I've seen my share of Demons and lived through plenty of nightmares. They all still haunt me every time I close my eyes.

Well, something I said/thought piqued his interest. "Really? Do share." He pushes. I just roll my eyes, "I spent over six million years in Hell… you have three guesses." I sass. "Oh… forgive me if I get some of the details wrong, I don't know your story very well… How many of those were spent _not_ working for Hell? How many of those were spent being carved by Lilith?"

My body visible shudders at the name. "I take it a few." He mocks. "12,000…" I whisper. "Hmm? I couldn't hear that." I glare into his soul… I'm quite surprised that he has one, or that it's dominated by betrayal more than malice. My layered voice begins to slip through once again.

"Twelve thousand years before I broke. That is One hundred on earth. But don't think for a second that the nightmare ended when I said yes… _She_ would still get bored from time to time" I growl. A memory starts to crawl its way over the wall I've built in my mind.

I push it away before my mind can be consumed with the memory of excruciating pain while _she_ sang:

 **The Iron, is dripping down  
Dripping down  
Dripping down**

 **The Iron is dripping down  
On my pet**

 **My pet will soon break  
Soon Break  
Soon Break**

 **My pet will soon break  
My Pet**

Or

 **Tick Tock  
Goes the clock  
And now what shall we play?**

 **Tick Tock  
Goes the clock  
Now Luca's gone away**

 **Tick Tock  
Goes the clock  
She gave all she could give him**

 **Tick tock  
Goes the clock  
Now torture waits for 'mina**

 _She_ sure was creative… "Ah, so that's still over six million years of killing the humans… Any important historical figures that would make them upset?" He asks, pointing to the camera.

I try so hard not to mentally answer the question. I fail. "Erskine? Jack Fury? Howard Stark? Did you attack family members of all of them?! You even dropped off the baby spider at the Red Room!" He starts listing.

I open my mouth to cut him off, before he does the same to me. "I get it, I get it! You're _trying_ to make up for it, and in the past two years you've done a marvelous job of it! You started an Apocalypse, exposed countless people to the supernatural, involved children and then whoops! You started another Apocalypse, only this time with beasts 'god' decided to lock away."

He says each word slowly, letting each one sink in. Tears are starting to form in my eyes. "How can you accuse me of a year of wrongdoings, when you have six million behind you. And all the time you've spent trying to make up for it… just makes it worse. Everything you touch is destroyed, _burned_. The only reason anyone hangs around you is to put out the fire."

Ok, now he's starting to hit a nerve. _If he wasn't important I would've torched him by now._ Tears are openly streaming down my face, "Stop lying." I order, failing to seem anything other than frail. "How can I stop lying, when I never started? You know it, don't you? There is a reason even the creatures of Tartarus, Niflheim and Purgatory hate you! They were branded as monsters… You? You were _made_ one. Created to destroy, to tarnish, to corrupt. Out of all three of us? You're the worst monster here!"

Without fully realising it, I create a hallucination for everyone looking through the camera- showing them that I'm still standing strong, being assertive, doing fine. "Why do I get the idea that what you just said applies to more than just me?" I whisper. A little louder, "Since I'm not about to get anything useful about anything here, I'm going. I hope you're satisfied."

I stalk out of the room, leaving behind a giggling Loki, and most likely an enraged group of SHIELD operatives and consultants. They think I'm fine? I'm not. I'm not alright. I'm visibly shaken. I'm not about to let anyone see it, though. I slip into my invisible mode and find the furthest corner of the ship- in the third cargo hold- and do my best to block out anyone who tries to contact me.

I sit there for what seems like forever, my head in between my knees, rocking back and forth… So many wounds… so many were just clawed open. Memories from my time in Hell bubble to the surface, my own self loathing comes to play… Everything within my own mind is pitted to destroy me.

 _ **Where are you?!**_ Just like that time oh so long ago with Famine, I shut down my end of the Link. Sure it's still there, but he can't hear anything or find me. Several people try to contact me, all over the SHIELD communicator Fury had me put in my ear.

Phil first, he was purely worried. Natasha next, she tried to stay calm, but I could hear the anger under her voice. I destroyed her life, after all. The guilt caused me to immediately hang up on Steve. After that I just tore out the communicator.

Why? Why are they trying to be nice? I know that all they truly want to do is hunt me down, maybe send me back for another couple years in Purgatory. I deserve it… As the tears continue to flow, a single song fills my ears… One that mother used to hum before she was killed and sent to Purgatory.

I'm so grateful that… Li- _She_ never tarnished this song.

 **Lapsistain rakkain tää näyttämö on**

 **Mis kuutamo kujillaan kulkee**

 **Taipunut havu, kesä hoivassa sen**

 **Valkomeren niin aavan**

 **Joka aavekuun siivin**

 **Saapuu mut kotiin noutamaan**

I start humming the tune to myself, being as quiet as possible as to not be detected by anyone else. Apparently, not quiet enough. I hear the sound of wings flapping, and Gabe sits down next to me.

"Gabriel I said leave me alone!" I whine. "I am not Gabriel." I turn to see Castiel, sitting silently beside me. Just in case anyone was listening to our conversation, I switch all my thought processes to Enochian. "What are you doing here?" He asks. "I could ask you the same. How did you even find me?" "Unimportant." "Are we starting, as the humans call it, a 'pity party'?" I ask. Cas shrugs. "That'd be the right term."

"Well I don't want it! Go away." I order, but without the usual bite behind my words… I'm too depressed to really care. "I was planning on leaving." "Then why are you still here?!" "How do you do it?" "What?"

"You've hurt more people than I…" I wince at his blunt words, but don't stop him. "Yet you are able to function under all that guilt. How?" Never accuse Castiel of sugarcoating anything. "Honestly? I don't. I'm just used to it I guess…"

"Does it ever get any easier?" He asks, most likely remembering his past few days. "No." He seems to deflate, no longer having the hope of it getting better to hold him up. "Then how do you do it?" He whispers, "Get up each morning and face the ones that you have hurt?"

I work on drying my tears, I don't exactly deserve the comfort of crying. "You don't get up to face your mistakes... You get up each morning to fix them… Everyday you try and make it up to them, bit by bit, hour by hour day by day. You get up each morning, not to survive, you get up each morning to try and make it up to the people who can't because of you… Awesome job of that I've been doing... Haven't I?"

I slowly start to sink in on myself again, slowly forgetting about Castiel, before he gets my attention again. "When do we consider our debt repaid?" He asked. I think about it for a moment. "I would say never… but that's not fair to you. There is a saying, 'A single lie undoes a thousand truths', so for every one person we hurt… We save a thousand more." I answer. Six million years worth of souls… it's not going to be easy, but then again… I wouldn't feel satisfied if it was.

"Candace… I can't say that I know you very well, I can't say that we are friends, but I do know some things about you. I know that you believe in free will full-heartedly, Loki said you were made to destroy, but Dean was also made to be Michael's vessel. If he could choose, why can't you? I know that, ever since you've gotten out of Hell, everything you have done has been to help… Letting yourself die, facing your fears, ignoring massive amounts of pain. Sometimes, I think, Even I don't have that much courage."

I look up, confused, "What are you talking about? You betrayed heaven!" "Only when I knew I could count on Dean to have my back once I fell. You continued to help people, burned your way through countless Iron doors, to save Mr. Rogers, even when you thought that everyone else had abandoned you. Why are you letting Loki's words affect you? He gave up on fighting for his own path… You never will."

If anyone else had given me this talk, I don't think I would have listened. But since it was Cas, someone who might understand… It's different. I pull him into a hug, placing my head on his shoulder, "Thank you… Cas." I whisper. There's a loud clank from behind me, someone trying to push open the blast doors.

Why is somebody in this cargo hold? I glance up to see Cap rummaging through some boxes labeled 'Phase Two'. "What are you doing here?" I demand, making myself visible. "I'm pretty sure these are classified." "Fury's hiding something. I need to find out what." He responds, sounding agitated.

When I shadow traveled in here, I noticed something was a little off, with the energy signatures. It gave off an aura similar to Loki's staff. I just didn't pay attention to it. "Don't tell me, Stark has sown some seeds of doubt in your mind?" "Yup."

I stand up, pushing off the lid to the crate I was leaning on. "Oh, hell…" I did not see this coming. "Tesseract weapons." I mutter. "Hydra tesseract weapons." Steve corrects me. "Why are they here? And what is Fury planning to do with them?"

I try to pick one up, but have to set it down. "Why is everything that Hydra made from metal, made of iron? First the Red Skull's ship, now these…" "I don't know. And I don't like not knowing." He mutters to himself. I look back to see that Cas disappeared, most likely to return to the other angels. I hope Luci didn't start destroying stuff while I was down here.

"Look, Steve-" "Save it… I'm not mad." "Ah… What?" I ask, wanting to make sure I heard right. "None of us are. We know you didn't want to… Sure, we are a bit upset you didn't tell us, but we understand why." Steve finishes explaining.

"I- I- Ah… I don't know how to thank you…" I say. "You could tell me the story." He suggest, picking up the Hydra Tesseract ray of Iron-y death. "Erskine sold his soul for the super soldier serum. There was no set collection date, the contract expired when he successfully created a soldier that would protect the country he had grown to love… although, he phrased it a bit odd. 'Until the country no longer needs protection'."

"So that's why no one is able to replicate the serum…" Steve says, starting to walk through all of the corridors, weapon in hand. "It was created by L- Li- _Her._ " Steve lays a hand on my shoulder. "You'll get there one day." "It shouldn't affect me like this! She's Dead!" Steve just shakes his head, "Six million years… that isn't going to disappear overnight, or in two years…"

I sigh, "Right." "Anyway, do you know what she made the Serum out of?" Steve asks. "Ah, yeah. A couple odds and ends to help stabilize it and a bit of my blood." Steve stops. "I'm assuming that is why you didn't freeze to death or age in seventy years. I don't know how it changed you, but you're not 100% human anymore…" I made him into a monster like me… "Don't beat yourself up about it." "That's kinda what the theme of the day is."

We arrive at the lab where Stark and Bruce have been working on the Scepter. Only, they're not working on the scepter right now. They're bickering with Fury over Phase 2. "What _is_ Phase Two?" Stark asks. Steve drops the Tesseract-powered gun on the nearest table, creating a loud noise that gets everyone's attention. "Phase Two, is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons. Sorry. The computer was moving a bit slow." Stark glances at me, but I pointedly ignore him.

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're…" "Collected? Yeah, right. No documentation, no records anywhere." "I'm sorry, Nick. What, were you lying?" Stark asks forcefully. He shows Nick the plans to replicate the weapon on the table next to me. "I guess I was wrong, Director." Steve begins. "The world hasn't changed a bit." "Humans never do."

Just then, Agent Romanoff and Thor walk in. She's staring at Banner, for some damned reason. "Well, did you know about this?" He demands. "You wanna remove yourself from this environment, Doctor?" She retorts. "Oh, I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well-removed." Banner shoots back. "Loki's manipulating you." "Loki is manipulating all of us!" I growl.

"You've been doing, what, exactly?" This is stressing me out. Why did I take this mission? _**You didn't have to…**_ _For some reason, I did._ Banner and Romanoff keep arguing. "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to make weapons of mass destruction." Round about now, Fury decides to start sharing the blame- never a good idea. He's reminding me of Adam- the first man.

"Because of him." Fury points at Thor. "Me?" The Thunder god repeats incredulously. "Last year, earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled an entire town. We learned, that, not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously outgunned." "My people want nothing but peace with your planet!" Thor defends.

"But you're not the only ones out there, are you? And you're not the only threat. We have some on our own planet who seek to kill us." Now Fury looks toward me. "Excuse me? Don't look at me- just because they want to kill you, doesn't mean _I_ do!" "You can't say that for sure." Stark mutters. I, not so subtly, light a part of his hair on fire. "That's merely a warning." He panics before patting the flames out. "I only have a grudge match with Iron Douche. Nobody else."

"The world is filling up with people who can't be controlled." "Leviathan. They're everywhere. You can't kill them. Can't bind them, can't control them." "Oh, like Fury's trying to control the cube?" "Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, as well as his allies. It's a signal to all realms that earth is ready for a higher form of war!"

"A higher form?" Steve looks like he's totally done. "You forced our hand. We had to come up with something." "Oh, yeah, nuclear deterrent. Cuz that always calms everything down." "Remind me again, Stark, how did you make your fortune?" I whip around to face him. Even when I'm not wearing heels, I'm just barely above his eye level, so he has to look up to me. "Wait wait wait! How is this about me, now?" "I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve and I chorus. Thor chuckles, "Humans are so petty. And tiny." "I'm not a human." I snarl.

Fuck, this is exactly what Loki wants! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck… "Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow shit up?" Fury looks absolutely livid. "Did you always give your champions such mistrust?" Thor replies.

"You do realise, SHIELD monitors potential threats?" Romanoff informs us all- not like I wasn't aware. "Everyone here is a threat. _Everyone_." I can't help but be affected by the mind gem on Loki's scepter. _If I were to leave, would that break it's hold on me?_ _**Yes, but not everyone else.**_ _What if I took it with me?_ _ **You're not taking it.**_ _Why am I not?_ _ **You would be consumed by the power- absolute power corrupts absolutely.**_ _Fine, I won't take it. But I don't like this._

"Are you above or below angry bees?" Stark asks sarcastically. "I swear to God, Stark, one more wisecrack…" "Threat! Verbal Threat! I feel threatened!" He calls out. I light my hand on fire and rush toward Stark, with Thor just barely holding me back.

"Oh? It won't be just a verbal threat if you don't shut the fuck up!" I shriek in my layered voice, scaring everyone- even Natasha. Fury grabs his gun and aims it toward me. Even though the lead and copper bullets won't kill me, I still back off. "Stand down, Armina, or I swear to God on high I will send you back to Purgatory." "Did you figure out how to kill me? Or did you just do a bit of research?" I sneer. "Oh, Stark told me everything. I got a clip of iron bullets in this thing."

I pale at that. "I can't believe you'd sink that low." Stark smiles evilly. "Look at me. I just did." "You've sunk so low into Hell that I couldn't even pull you out- not like I'd want to." I let the flames go out and back myself, literally, into a corner of the room, just watching the rest of the fight.

"You speak of control but you court chaos!" Thor points out. "It's Loki's MO, isn't it? We're supposed to be a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're- we're a fucking time bomb!" Banner breaks in. "You need to step away." Fury orders. Stark puts his arm around Rogers. "Aw, why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Rogers pushes him away. "You know damn well why, so back off!" "I'm starting to want you to make me."

Watching them bicker back and forth is tearing me apart, we're supposed to be a team, but Banner's right- we are a time bomb. It's just a matter of when the circumstances collide to create the explosion. "Big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?" Steve mutters.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." "And microphallus." I growl. Nobody notices me. "I know guys with none of that worth ten of you." Yeah, that's probably true. "The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you." "I think I'd just cut the wire."

They're just non-stop! "There's always a way out. You know, you might not think you're a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero." "A hero? Like you? You're a fuckin' lab rat, Rogers, everything special about you came out of a bottle." "No it didn't. Lilith created the formula, because Erskine sold his soul for it. I'm not fully human, I have hellhound blood in me, just like Sam Winchester has demon blood in him." I have never seen Rogers this agitated. Everyone is ignoring me now, didn't even notice my wince at _her_ name.

"Put on the suit- let's go a few rounds." Thor parrots what his brother said. "You people are so petty… and tiny." Fury makes a call. "Agent Romanoff, would you escort Doctor Banner to h-" "Where? You rented my room." "The cell was only a precaution, in case-" "In case you needed to _kill me_ , but you can't! I know. I tried." Banner yells. Everyone looks at him differently. Steve looks at him with empathy because he's lost someone before. Stark looks at him because he's _tried_ before. As have I.

"I was getting low. I didn't see another way out, so I put a bullet in my mouth. The other guy spit it out. So, I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!" He stares at Romanoff oddly. "So you wanna know my secret, Agent? You wanna know how I keep calm?" I'm readying my escape route- shadow traveling as fast as possible- and Romanoff and Fury reach for their guns once more.

"Doctor Banner! Put down the scepter." I call out. Just then, fortunately, the scanner beeps. "Got it." Stark announces. Banner sets the scepter on the table behind him, and goes to the computers. "Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my party trick after all." "I'm not exactly disappointed." Romanoff breathes.

"You find the Tesseract?" Thor asks. "I could get there faster." Stark says. "Look, all of us-" Steve is cut off by Thor. "The Tesseract belongs on Asgard! Nobody is a match for it." Stark turns to go. "You're not going alone!" Rogers tries to stop him. "You gonna stop me?" "Put on the suit, let's find out." They're still going at it. "I'm not afraid to hit an old man." "Put on the suit." Suddenly, Doctor Banner sees something about the Tesseract on the monitor. "Oh my God!"

We're all shaken by a massive blast, coming from Engine Three- near where my hideout was. I'm so glad I wasn't there. "Put on the suit!" Steve orders. For once, Stark doesn't argue. "Yep!" They run off. Natasha and Doctor Banner have fallen through the floor into a lower equipment room. Banner's looking a bit green, and Romanoff's trapped under a stack of pipes.

"Are you ok?" I shout. "I'll be fine, just go! Fix the helicarrier!" she replies hoarsely. _Gabe, Mike, Luci, you there?_ _ **Copy that, boss. Whatcha need?**_ _Engine three is completely trashed, and Engine two is on the verge of failure. Go help Iron Douche and Captain America fix them._ _ **You got it.**_

"Coulson! Initiate lockdown on the detention level, then get to the armory! Move!" Fury yells into the comms. We both run to the Bridge, where he orders "Get us over water! One more turbine goes down, we're going with it." "I've got the archangels on the case, hopefully we won't fall." I inform him. "I hope so, for your sake." He mutters.


	39. Chapter 38

"Go help Agent Coulson in the Detention level!" Maria Hill yells at me. "Of course." I take off, shadow traveling and running, beating up every bad guy I come across, making myself invisible once more before walking into Loki's 'room'.

There are multiple copies of him around the room, Thor is trapped in the cell itself, and Coulson's standing with one of the Tesseract weapons in hand. "Armina, I know you're there, you don't have to hide." Loki says childishly. Shit, no more flashbacks to her, no more!

I make myself visible once more, and one of the Loki clones comes behind me and grabs my wrist, forcing me to my knees. Another clone stands behind Coulson and impales him on the scepter. "NO!" Shit, that wasn't a clone, that was not a clone, that was actually Loki! "Barton's taken out our systems, and is heading to the detention level!" Fury's voice comes through my comms.

I pull out Hellfire and my hydra fangblade, stabbing the clone and forcing Loki to withdraw the scepter from Coulson's chest. "You… You, you you!" I screech, lunging toward Loki. He easily sidesteps and stabs me in the side with an iron dagger, leaving me next to Coulson who is fading fast. "Agent Coulson is down!" I shout into the comms. "Detention level!"

Loki makes all the clones dissipate, then walks calmly over to the console and releases the cell from its holdings, sending Thor plummeting toward earth. "Brace yourself." Coulson whispers next to me, pulling the trigger on the Hydra gun. The blast shakes us to our cores, and sends Loki through a wall into the next room. He merely grins and disappears.

"Did anyone hear me? Agent Coulson is down!" I yell. I'm holding the iron dagger in my side, putting Hellfire and the fangblade back in my boots. "Coulson, stay with us. Just a little longer…" I whisper. "Well, that's what it does." He replies, just as softly.

"Coulson, you're not dying just yet. Your reaper's not here. God's got big plans for you. You'll live through this." I try to encourage him. "Well, Tahiti's a magical place." Coulson chuckles, before coughing up blood. Just then, a medical team bursts through the doors. Two men place him on a stretcher, nobody seems to notice that I'm hurt. Nobody seems to care.

"Gabriel!" I call out desperately. I was ignoring the pain, so fucking focused on Coulson, but now I'm realising there's a fucking STAB WOUND in my right side, it hurts! It hurts a lot! "Gabriel!" I try standing up, but I'm so weak I collapse on the floor. The rest of the team's so busy with Coulson.

No, they haven't just forgot about me… They don't _want_ to save me. They don't care if I am in pain. They aren't going to waste time and resources for healing the Hellhound, the Hellspawn, the _Monster._ If I had to guess, they are probably ignoring me on Fury's orders. _Gabriel! Please…_

That's my last conscious thought before I black out.

[Page Break]

 **Gabriel's POV:**

I somehow got the job of holding up the plane while Cullen fixed the engine. Steve is standing by a lever, the other two Archangels are holding up the other engine. I would have just snapped it fixed but… I'm not in the mood for doing Eyepatch or Microphallus any favors. Not after they threatened Candace with iron.

Suddenly, a sharp pain floods through the link and into my side. Candace has been stabbed! I listen closely, trying to see how bad it is. 'Gabriel!'. Crap. It's bad! She didn't even bother with the link… that was verbal! "Candace is hurt!" I yell to the two muttonheads here, preparing to leave.

"Stay where you are! She'll be fine!" Tony yells, starting to get the turbine up to speed. 'Gabriel!' "No she's not!" "The medics will handle it! She is with Agent Coulson, They'll treat her too!" Steve yells. _Gabriel! Please…_

I don't even bother waiting for them to say it's okay for me to leave. I just drop the plane and rush to wherever she is. I don't even care that Stark is being shredded by the engine. I probably wouldn't have helped him anyway.

I appear in the room where Loki's cell was previously. There, medical units are working frivolously on Phil Coulson who is not anywhere close to dead. He doesn't even have a reaper. Right beside him is Candace, passed out, with an iron dagger in her side… quickly fading away.

I quickly grab her away from the medics, who aren't doing a thing to help her. Carrying her bridal style I teleport into one of the unused sleeping quarters. I lay her on the bed, carefully. I examine the knife in her side- of course Loki used one with a jagged edge, pulling it out is going to end up ripping more skin.

"When has she ever cared about a little extra pain?" Lucifer asks, appearing with Mike behind me. "She wouldn't care, true. That doesn't mean I'm okay with hurting her…" I reply. Luci rolls his eyes, walks up, and yanks out the knife. "What are you doing!" I bellow.

"Healing her…" He says, letting his hand be engulfed in a familiar flame… one that Candace finds herself subconsciously playing with. He uses it to cauterise the wound. "There. As long as she didn't lose too much blood she'll be fine, but then again, she's been fine after losing ten and a half pints. She'll heal." Luci says.

Thank you for the totally unneeded status check, not like I haven't been paying attention to her injuries. I reach forward and heal as much of it as I can with my grace, speeding up the process immensely. Why did I choose to impersonate LOKI of all of them? Given what he's done today, I'd smite him right here and now. If he weren't important, that is.

Then again, Loki seems to be affected by the Mind Gem just as much as everyone else was, so maybe he isn't that bad when he's nowhere near it… Candace herself asked, 'How did Thanos screw you up so badly?' Did he make a deal with Thanos? How would Loki have even ended up in Thanos' clutches? Ugh, nothing makes sense.

I seal off the room and run straight for the bridge. Everyone there is in a state of shock. I'm guessing it's because they think Coulson's dead. Fury pulls out a deck of cards, they're bloodstained and some even have cuts on the side.

"These were in Agent Coulson's pocket when he was stabbed. Guess he never did get you to sign them." No they weren't in Coulson's pocket, they were in Candace's pocket! I don't like staying silent but Eyepatch doesn't leave me any choice.

Rogers grabs the cards, shuffling through them, dumbstruck. "So what do we do now, Captain?" Agent Romanoff asks. "We're down 2 men, up one. I understand you brought Agent Barton back to his senses?" "Yep." "Tell him to suit up." Everyone disperses to their stations. I decide to stay behind for a few moments to talk to Fury.

"Director." He turns around slowly. "Is there something you needed, Gabriel?" He's a bit on edge. I want to know why. "Yes, actually. When Agent Coulson was stabbed, Candace was injured as well. Coulson was treated immediately, whereas when I arrived Candace was passed out on the floor. Care to explain?"

Fury lightly shrugs, "She is immortal. If she is injured she will heal." He explains simply. "But you just risked a trip to _purgatory_!" I growl. "Armina's a smart girl, she'll be fine. She would come back eventually anyway." He replies bluntly.

"And the mental wounds? The ones that _don't_ heal instantly?" I growl. "Again, she is immortal. We wouldn't have lost an asset regardless. Agent Coulson, however, is an irreplaceable colleague." 'Asset?!' While Philip is called a 'colleague?!'

"He didn't even have a reaper! His body may be dead right now! But I guarantee you, The soul has stuck around! You could restart his heart _now_ and he would be fine! If I had waited two more minutes, Candace would be a pile of gold dust, and if she couldn't find her way to a door, she would have been beyond my reach!" I yell.

Fury sighs, raising his hands as if to calm me down. "Right, well how were we supposed to know that? She doesn't exactly share her past or the working of a Hellhound." "And I don't blame her for keeping quiet! If you really want to know more of her weaknesses, just ask _Stark_! He seems more than happy to help."

"He already told me about the iron bullets. Those seem to be a good way to keep her in line." Did he just… "You wouldn't dare shoot her." "I haven't yet, but if she attacks us I will have no choice." "Just know that if you lay a hand on her, you will die a horrible, horrible death."

"As long as she stays in her place I won't have to." Fury says, obviously trying to end this argument. "She wouldn't hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it… She doesn't _want_ to." I growl, not even caring that my voice is becoming less and less human. This mortal is getting on my nerves.

"She's done it before." Fury points out angrily. "You're acting more and more like Lilith every second. Candace wouldn't be able to handle the stress of another one." I was going to say more, start another little rant. But a familiarly annoying voice interrupts me.

"Besides… I think you should worry more about the devil than her…" Lucifer drawls, using the nickname he hates so much for effect. I whip around quickly, "You're supposed to be watching her!" I growl. He just shrugs, "She's waking up… You know how she gets when she wakes up somewhere she doesn't recognise and you aren't around."

Yeah… I do. She starts to wonder if the past two years were just a dream, that this is all just an illusion Lilith made because she wanted to mess with her head… I nod. "Yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming. Where's Mike and Cas?" I ask.

"They're helping the mortals find Loki." He answers. Oh, I owe him a visit, and I definitely know I'm first in line. "I'm gonna go to Candace's room now. You deal with him." I mutter to Lucifer. "Got it."

{page break}

 **Candace's POV**

I'm lying down on a military-style cot, bare amenities, terrible mattress. Where am I? It looks like I'm back in the Arctic Circle, helping SHIELD… Oh, wait. I'm on the helicarrier, somewhere over New Jersey. Why am I on a helicarrier, furthermore why am I lying down on a bed? And why is there a serrated iron knife next to me? I'm not restrained… always a good sign.

I sit up, ignoring the headache. There's a bit of a pain on my side, but it's nothing I can't handle. It's a SHIELD bunk, but it looks unoccupied at the moment. Well, aside from me. I look down at my hands- there's a few mild burn scars, but nothing that will affect me long-term.

Everything suddenly comes back to me- Loki, Loki stabbing Coulson, Loki stabbing me, Loki dropping his brother from the sky, Coulson nearly dying, me calling out for Gabriel, the med teams ignoring me… It seems to me like the root of all these problems is Loki. I hear the rustling of feathers next to me, and Gabe sits down on the bunk. "How you feeling?"

I naturally allow my head to droop so that I'm leaning on his shoulder. "Like I got stabbed." I quip. He sighs, "Other than that?" I take a brief inventory of everything that hurts. Headache, my neck is a bit stiff but other than that it would seem that they healed everything. "I'm fine… just sore." I answer. "And a bit tired." Gabriel adds to himself.

"Hmm…" I agree, after a couple seconds of silence another question comes to mind. "What's the gameplan?" Gabe sighs, closes his eyes for a second before answering, "From what I've gathered. Loki isn't going to be activating the Tesseract until later today."

Starting an alien invasion. We have to stop him. "Oh, no you're not! You just got stabbed by that motherfucker, you ain't going anywhere near him now." "Look, we have the fate of the world as we know it at stake. It's either Chitauri or Leviathan. Do you want a pretentious asshole at the helm or a Leviathan hellbent on killing everyone?" "Point taken. But you are going to stay as far away as possible from the action." "I don't have a choice about this, do I?" "Absolutely not." Gabe is stubborn on this point. "Wherever the battle is, I will only help to get civilians out of the way. Until it becomes too much for you to handle, I'll stay on the sidelines." I say.

"Where is the Tesseract gonna be activated anyway?" A beat passes before Gabe sighs. "New York City. Right on top of Stark Tower." _SON OF A BITCH!_ _I don't like this either._ "Of all the possible locations…" "We've got our work cut out for us. Where's Stark now?" "On his way to threaten Loki." "I'm going with him. That bastard isn't gonna get away with stabbing me and Coulson." "Candace-"

Before Gabe can finish his sentence, I've disappeared into the shadows- Destination: Stark Tower. I apparate just behind the bar on what I'm guessing is the common floor. Stark walks in through a gauntlet of machines that take his armour and store it somewhere. Show-off. "Please tell me you're gonna appeal to my humanity." Loki nearly whines. "No, actually, he's planning to threaten you." I whisper hoarsely.

"Should have left his armour on for that." "Yeah, no kidding." "It's seen a bit of mileage. I mean, you've got the glowstick of destiny." Stark cuts in. "Want a drink?" "No, Stark, nobody's taking shots here. We need you sober. Or so help me, I will call Gabriel in here and he will take all the alcohol." "Nice to see you've got your sass back." He shoots.

"You know stalling me won't change anything?" Loki calls out. "Oh, I know. I've just got a score to settle with Iron Douche here." "Not the best time, Bones-" "Don't call me that. I hate it when you call me that. Now, stand back, let me do the negotiating." I light a bit of fire in a ring around Stark.

"Stalling doesn't change anything." "No, no. I'm threatening you." I remind the angsty emo Norse god. "The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that. What do I have to fear?" "The Avengers." I announce. "Excuse me?" "It's what they call themselves. Earth's mightiest champions. If that's even a proper term for them."

Loki smiles."Oh, them. I've met them." "Took them awhile to gain the traction, didn't it? But, allow me to do a headcount. Iron Man, here, the genius, billionaire, heartbreaker, philanthropist. Captain America, the supersoldier and living legend who actually lives up to the legend. A man with breathtaking anger-management issues. Thor, your brother, the demigod. Two master assassins. You managed to piss off every last one of them." "What about yourself?" Loki sneers.

"I don't consider myself an Avenger. I only came in because Coulson asked. I've got more apocalypses than I know what to do with, and this is only a temporary thing. I didn't appreciate being stabbed on the job, though." I say truthfully.

"Oh, that. How are you faring, by the way?" There's only a hint of sarcasm, and no genuine concern. "I'm doing well, actually. Thanks to Gabriel, the one who took over your identity. I daresay, he did it better than you."

Loki grips the scepter tighter, and lifts it so the point is just under my chin, threatening to rip my throat out. "I angered every last one of these 'Avengers' because that was the plan." "Not the best plan. They plan to come for you… and they sure as hell will. I have three archangels and most of heaven on my side, you really don't want them angry."

Loki growls at me, "I have an entire army!" "Stark's team has a Hulk." "The beast wandered off." "You're missing the whole point. There's no throne here! There is no version where you come out on top. Sure, your army may come. They may overrun the Avengers. But if they can't protect the earth, be damned well sure they'll avenge it. And on the unlikely chance that they fail… Then you have _me_ to deal with."

I glance back at Stark who is looking at me with an expression that, to me, translates to, 'Why didn't I take her?' I subtly extinguish the flames, while Loki tears open my throat and taps the scepter against my chest. Nothing. _Did you have something to do with this, Gabe?_ _**Yeah, I did. Your mind can't be invaded by random people looking for information or wanting to mess with you, and you're immune to the Mind Gem's effects.**_ _Well, thanks._

I cover the gaping hole in my throat and whisper, "Well, Nice try. But, no cigar." The insane psychopath grabs me by my throat, lifting me off the ground and restricting my breathing further. "You'll all fall before me." He sneers before throwing me out the plate-glass windows. I'm not scared, though. I know someone will catch me. I'm getting closer to the ground. Fifty feet. Forty feet. Thirty. Twenty. Ten…

Something swoops in and grabs me just before I splat on the ground. It's, oddly enough, not Gabriel or Mike or Luci. It's Stark. "Looks like you just fell for me." He quips. "Hahahaha, no." I whisper. Ow, it hurts to speak. I'm covered in glass shards and bleeding profusely, and my throat's only just begun to heal.

I lean back in Stark's arms, as though I'm passed out, and when He finally reaches the top floor, he announces, "Oh, there's two more you pissed off. Phil Coulson and Candace Armina." _Gabriel? A little help here._ _ **How did you fuck up again? This is the second time today?**_ _Loki. He threw me out a window._ _**I'm gonna kill that punk when this is over.**_ _Get permission from Frigga first._

Stark sets me down on the landing platform for his suit before flying back up and blasting Loki back through the windows. I can only stare up at the sky in horror as the blue-ness rips apart, and hundreds upon thousands of Chitauri footsoldiers rain from the rip. _Gabe, hurry up and heal me, I have civilians to save._ _ **Ok… Remember your promise.**_ Gabriel appears next to me and taps me on the forehead. I immediately feel much better as he helps me up. "Let's defeat these bastards."

Now that I'm mostly healed, be it a little sore, I prepare to go down to the city, Help with evacuation. Before I can shadow travel down there, the platform I am standing on comes to life, attaching rocket boots, gloves and a headset to my body. This new design looks even better than the last pair I left at Camp Half-blood.

"Stark-" "Yeah, I had a few ideas. Couldn't resist." Stark interrupts. I examine the new tech. They look mostly the same. I'm guessing they are jets a lot faster, even though that is almost impossible. "What happened to me telling you that you'd never see me again?"

"Well, I did. And even if this whole fiasco didn't happen, I would have found you eventually." I have to hold back my laughter. _Find_ a Hellhound that doesn't want to be found? Yeah, like that is going to happen. "We still need to talk-" "This is not the time nor place." I cut him off.

"Stark, we're heading north east." Natasha announces through the communicators. "~What, Did you stop for drive-through?~" Stark, Gabe and I chorus. "Oh God. There's three of them!" Clint says, "While it's nice to see you on your feet, Can you _not_ bring my great grandfather into this?" I ask sarcastically.

I activate the boots and start flying around the city, scorching every Chitauri soldier I can find. _**Ah, Hello! You promised to stick to the sidelines!**_ I sigh and drop to the ground, destroying a Chitauri that was about to attack a school teacher and a bunch of kids.

"Hey, you take these kids down that subway tunnel, stay in there." I tell her, rushing the kids to the tunnel. There aren't many chitauri around yet, but more are pooling in by the second. "Candace, what's the plan?" Lucifer asks through the comm.

Did they give the archangels communicators? _**Yes.**_ "Mike, you're on perimeter, keep this contained. I don't want to have to hunt these guys down like we have to the leviathan. Luci, you get the citizens safe. Use illusions to corral them into the subways and basements."

"But-" "Don't complain! I get it, you don't like humans. You don't kill them because I ask, but helping them is out of the question. Don't view this as helping the humans, view it as giving Crowley, Hades and Hel less paperwork. The less irritable they are the better."

"Cas, you here?" "Yes." "You and Gabe take down all the Chitauri you can, keep the focus off the mortals, civilians or Avengers." I order. "Captain, you know what the plan is for my team. What is yours?"

"What are you going to be doing?" Iron Douche questions, seeing the gap in the plan. I roll my eyes, "My Guardian Angel has sidelined me. I'm helping with evac." I say, ripping open the door to a bus.

"We're sidelining the flaming hound? The immortal?" Clint asks, greatly confused. "Not my choice. And I refuse to be called flaming hound!"

"You do need a name, what about Pyrofang?" Gabe retorts. "Cinder wolf?" Mike adds. "Is no one going to mention that there is an entire book written about her called Rogue Hound? She already has a name!" Luci brings up.

I can hear a hissing noise coming from Luci's line. "Are you scaring the mortals with a basilisk?" I ask. "Of course not! What do you take me for? A drakon is much more intimidating than a basilisk!"

I sigh, "Don't mentally scar any children." "But the parents are okay?" I sigh again. "Can you guys stop chatting and focus on the fight?" Natasha voice breaks through.

By now we are being swarmed by the Chitauri. I burn open the door to the subway. Why do these all have electronic doors? That doesn't help when the electricity has been cut.

"After so many battles you learn to multitask." Gabe answers. I don't know where he is. I'm over on thirtieth, the jet crashed on seventh. The city seems to still as a huge roar can be heard. Looking up I see a gigantic creature gliding out of the portal. Dagger like teeth, armadillo shell. The thing is massive- I could burn it. I could totally melt it to the ground.

"Stark, are you seeing this?" Steve asks. "Seeing it… Still working on 'believing'." Tin Man replies. "I thought humans believed in what they could see… How can you not believe in this?" Castiel questions. The angels and I let out a simultaneous sigh, "Oh, you were making a joke… It was a good one!" Cas amends.

"Anyway, what about Banner? Has he shown up yet?" Microphallus continues. "Nope, the big mean green machine is a bit late to class today." Gabe says. "Huh, I always pictured Banner as the four-eyed, acne ridden, overly-punctual band geek." I return.

"Well, you're not wrong…" I watch as a hoard of chitauri bust through the windows of a building labeled, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Within two seconds fire alarms start going off. Seriously? I'm stuck with this? You know what? Screw the side lines.

I rush into the Hospital, transforming into my furred wolf form, leaping in front of the Chitauri. I act as a giant shield between all of the civilians in the lobby and the savage aliens. In my mind, I imagine the Chitauri spontaneously combusting, til they're only a pile of ashes on the floor.

I turn to the nurses just standing there, frozen in a mix of awe and horror. "Get the patients into the basement or to the storage way! Stay off the streets!" I order them, ignoring how one of them decided to record this on her phone. Fantastic, there goes keeping myself a secret. Not that I was expecting it after today.

I kill any Chitauri that comes near us while the staff get the patients out of the hospital. During the time it takes me to assist fifty cancer patients to the subway, Steve had the police set up a perimeter down to the 39th street.

"What's the story with the Tesseract, Thor?" Steve asks as we all converge together. "The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable." "Thor's right, we gotta deal with these guys." Stark breaks in. "How will we do this?" Widow asks. "As a team." "Oh, I've got unfinished business with Loki." "Sure, get in line." Hawkeye replies bitterly. "Oh, no you don't! I get first dibs." Gabe shouts. "Save it!" I yell.

"Loki will keep this fight focused on us. That's what we need right now- otherwise these creatures will run rampant all over the globe." "We've got Stark up top, he's gonna need us." I mutter. Suddenly, a motorbike pulls up next to us. Doctor Banner hops off. "This all seems… horrible." "I've seen worse." Widow replies. "Oh. Sorry." "No, no no, we could use a little worse at this point."

"Stark? We got Banner. Just like you said." "Tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."

Just then, a _massive_ Chitauri whale banks clumsily around the corner, with a very small Stark-in-a-suit barely ahead of it. "Stark, this pales in comparison to _most_ parties I have ever been to." I say bluntly. "I- I don't see how that's even a party." Cas and Natasha chorus.

"If you can't handle my worst, you don't deserve my best." Tony points out. I hate to break it to you… this isn't even the worst party I've ever been to either. "Really? What was it?" Gabe asks. "Long story, wait for the movie." I retort.

It actually isn't that long of a story, I just don't want to tell it. I don't know how, but _she_ realized it was my birthday one year, so she decided to have some fun. In her own twisted way. She put me on a small boat and pushed me in between Charybdis and Scylla. My options were, drowning, being digested alive, or ripped apart. I figured Scylla would be the fastest.

Gabriel whistles and I roll my eyes at the invasion of mental privacy… Not that I really care anymore. I need to learn to swim. Great, something else to put on my to-do list… "That would help…" Gabe points out. "But now is not the best time!"

Lost in our conversation I almost miss seeing nerdy little Bruce turn into the Hulk. The transformation shocks me. I should've seen it coming though. The Hulk runs toward the Chitauri whale and punches it right on the tip of it's ugly nose. Stops in its tracks, the previous momentum it had sends both Hulk and Whale flying back and digging into the concrete.

With the giant motherfuckin' whale now incapacitated, I start torching it until it's just a pile of ash and armour. The Hulk starts growling at the Chitauri, the Chitauri roaring back. Oh, I could win this easy. With my superior Hound vocal cords, I let out my own growl. The low and powerful sound resonates all around the state, my eyes glowing red as I demand Death's presence.

I begin ripping apart Chitauri, right and left, torching the strays and burning the remains. Cleanup will be really easy. Just get a giant-ass vacuum and vacuum up the ashes. "What happened to sticking to the side lines?" Gabe asks as Steve starts giving his team orders.

"Safety is overrated." I retort, flying head first into a Whale Chitauri, headbutting it accidentally on purpose. I think it gave both of us a terrible headache. I recover first, turning it to ashes. "I think that one counts for two hundred." I shout at Gabriel. "Aw, come on!" "Four hundred and seventeen for me!" "That's no fair! I've only got maybe a hundred and ten!" Mike says through the comms. "Speak for yourself- Gabby here hasn't got any!" Luci chuckles. "No need to rub it in my face…"

"Are you having a competition?" Natasha asks, not even trying to hide how much she is judging us. "Yeah. It's kind of a thing we do in big battles." I explain. "I won last time!" Gabe says braggingly. "By one point!" I yell, scorching another five in one blow. 422. "I'm gonna win this time. It's no fucking competition." "AHAHAHAHAHA No. I'm gonna win."

The Archangels and I engage in the best game ever. We destroy Whale after Whale, soldier after soldier. Mike killed a whale and the body almost landed on a building, killing people, I quickly light the body on fire before it could cause any harm, and it rains ashes over the entire block.

Luci, I believe, is my greatest competitor. We both possess similar powers, so we kill at the same speed. I mentally thank Iron Douche for making my boots fast enough to keep up with them. With the better fire power I own this! Gabriel, however, is faster than all of us.

"Where is Cas?" I ask, taking down a dozen more soldiers. He isn't playing the game with us… "I am protecting the mortals… Like you asked." Wow! He's like an obedient little soldier… _**That is literally what he was created for.**_ _Well, he's doing a good job... It's no wonder he likes Dean._ I see more Whales incoming.

"We need to bottleneck the portal. Archangels and Thor, keep them up there or send them back." Steve orders, I thought I was in charge here? Whatever, Steve's plan is the same one I had. We rush to the portal, destroying every single Chitauri that comes through.

What if I were to… _**It might work…**_ _Worth a shot._ I bring all of my independent training sessions to the front of my mind. The ones where I have armies made of fire battling a dragon. Not the most creative, but it forces me to keep my focus.

I move slightly to avoid Thor's lightning as I create a sheet of fire, one that lays like a net two feet away from the portal. I also send a fire dragon _into_ the portal. It vanishes instantly in the void, no oxygen means no fire… But _hells_ fire feeds off of darkness, not oxygen.

I then send Hellfire dragon after dragon into the portal, destroying things on that side. All while keeping up a flaming net to keep them out. I am very conscious of the fact that Luci took over controlling two dragons and the net. I'm still controlling about a dozen.

I push forward, ignoring an annoying buzzing in my head. One by one, my dragons dissipate, my focus waning. I decide to let the rest of them vanish before I use my energy up completely. I guess I'm not quite strong enough for that… "Ya think?!" "Whatever, I still raised my score to 1,842!" "AW COME ON!"

Flying back to the ground, I use what strength I have left to torch the remaining Chitauri currently falling from the sky, and ash falls all around me. "It's snowing in fuckin' July!" Clint yells sarcastically.

 **Snow glows white on the mountain tonight!**

"Oh no… Look what you started!" I yell at Clint once Gabe and Luci break out into song.

 **Not a footprint to be seen.  
A kingdom of isolation  
And it looks like…**

Gabe insistently pokes me… One line! Fine. "I'm the queen."

 **The wind is howling, like this swirling storm inside!  
Couldn't keep it in…  
Heaven knows I tried!**

"Get them to stop!" Clint yells, shooting another arrow in rage. I can tell that, internally, he's debating, 'Should I sing with them? Or pretend I'm just majorly annoyed?'

 **Don't let them in, don't let them see  
Be the good girl you always have to be  
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know…**

I think I know which side won… "Well now they know!"

 **Let it go!  
Let it go!  
Can't hold it back anymore!**

"Why are we singing Frozen while battling an army of aliens?" Natasha asks. "Because our main enemy is a frost giant with too much pent up emotion?" I suggest.

 **I don't care, What they're going to say!  
Let the storm rage on!  
The cold never bothered me anyway.**

"Okay! You sang a verse of the song… Now let it go!" Natasha grumbles. "HAHAHAHA NOOOO."

 **It's funny how some distance  
Makes everything seem small  
And the fears that once controlled me  
Can't get to me at all!**

Mike looks like he's totally fed up with this shit and puts Gabe and Luci and I on 'mute', basically silencing us. Fortunately, we are the only ones he can do this to, and Clint keeps singing. "I can turn it off!" Natasha yells. Nobody really hears her.

Clint was about to sing another stanza when Fury's voice comes over the communicators. "Will you stop singing for one goddamn second and realize there is a nuke headed straight for the city?!" _Oh fuck._ _Double fuck._ _Michael, let me talk! Keep Gabe on mute if you want, but I need to be able to talk._ _ **Hey…**_ I turn on my comms and say, "Copy that, Eyepatch. We'll handle it." How the fuck did the Council come up with the brilliant solution to nuke one of the most populated cities on the planet? _**It's stupid, that's for sure.**_ _Would that even kill us?_ _**Probably not, but it'd kill Stark, Rogers, Romanoff, Barton and literally everyone else in the city.**_ _Let's stop the damn nuke then._

"I know just where to put it." Stark says. He's latched onto the nuke, piloting it straight through the city towards his tower. "You know that's a one way trip, right?" Rogers asks. "Stark, no, you really shouldn't do that…" I mutter. "Pepper would be devastated." "One life instead of millions, right?" he chuckles. "I'm taking it into the portal." I shadow travel to just under the nuke and force Tony aside, turning on magnets in my gloves and latching on. "Hey, we may as well do this together… We thought we'd die with the Ten Rings and we didn't." "You seem to forget that you can't come back. I can. They won't even have anything left of you to bury." "Let them mourn. At least this is my legacy."

We bank upwards, aiming directly for the portal and the armada on the other side. "Sir, shall I call Miss Potts?" JARVIS asks. "May as well…" A few rings later, the call fails, and Tony and I slip from the atmosphere of Earth to the vacuum of Space. Immediately, I stop breathing- it feels like all the oxygen is being ripped out of me. _She_ used that as torture once, as well, sending me between outer space and pulling me back to a high-pressure location, usually a pressure vessel big enough to hold me. Oh, god, that sucked. "Let go of the nuke!" Tony yells. I disengage magnets and fall toward earth with him, taking a huge breath of sweet air when we re-enter the atmosphere. There's only a three inch clearance around us when the portal closes.

I barely manage to turn on my rocket boots before hitting a building, but Stark keeps falling, falling, faster to earth. "He's not slowing down!" I shriek into the comms. I see Thor getting ready to retrieve him, but it's the Hulk who catches Stark and takes him back to ground. Gabriel appears next to me, and we both fly down towards the rest.

Tony's lying on the ground, in a crater that I'm guessing the Hulk created. Thor rips off the face plate, and when Stark doesn't appear to be breathing, the Hulk lets out a roar. I howl with my hound voice, and the force both sounds combined seems to shock Tony into waking up. "Oh hell! What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me." Even during a near death experience, he manages to keep his sass. A bit of a pause, then Cap says softly, "We won."

"Alright, Alright. That's what I'm talking about. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it." Stark wisecracks. "It's good stuff. I grabbed some takeout once." Gabe smirks. "You _made_ takeout, you mean." "Yeah, I made it." "We aren't finished yet." Cap reminds us. We all glance toward the top floor of Stark Tower. "Shawarma after?" Tony mutters.


	40. Chapter 39

Gabe, Mike, Luci and I all fly up, with Stark and Thor close behind. Banner/Hulk jumps up, destroying floors in the process. I stand nearest the windows, and let the Avengers take the forefront. Loki's lying on the stairs- the same stairs I walked down when I threatened him- and he looks like a piece of shit ragdoll. The Hulk had something to do with that. Loki turns around slowly, only to face an archangel's blade, a pissed-off Hawk's arrow, a Black Widow's pistol, a Demigod's magical hammer, a metal man's repulsors, and an angry Hulk's fists. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll have that drink now. I don't care what Miss Armina says." To my surprise, Stark actually smirks at that.

After taking Loki into Asgardian custody, Tony directs us all to the shawarma place he noticed the first time he fell from the heavens. They're actually open, to my surprise, and they're cleaning up broken glass and twisted metal. It looks like the Chitauri helped themselves. We order our- I guess sandwiches is the right term?- and Tony leaves a generous donation, living up to the 'philanthropist' part of his job description.

We sit down, pushing several tables together to hold all the food we ordered, and another man walks in the door. One I know rather well- we became well acquainted during the few odd months between running from Her and the fateful day in Montana. "Hello, Death, my old friend." I call out playfully. "Want some Shawarma?" "You're too kind." He smiles, sitting next to me and grabbing a 'sandwich'. We sit in silence for a few moments more, then Death says, "I suppose I should thank you." "Why?" Steve questions.

"Well, I cleared out my entire schedule to reap everyone who died today. And absolutely _nobody_ passed as a result of the battle. Only two people died, and they were from completely unrelated causes. One died from natural causes, the other died as a result of electrocution by toaster oven." "You're serious?" I say, shocked. (pun intended) "No, I'm being incredibly sarcastic." Somehow, Death says that with a perfectly straight face. "Of course, I'm serious. You guys defending the world from the Chitauri has saved all of us a lot of paperwork. I also get the rest of the day off, so, Thank you."

"You're quite welcome. I'm glad we could help." Gabe smiles. Death nods at him, then grabs a takeout box of Shawarma before leaving. "Did… Did we just have a conversation with Death?" Steve asks incredulously. "Yep." Tony leans back in his chair, taking a long sip of his soda. "You learn to get used to it eventually. Remember, I had an archangel and a hellhound living with me for months."

"Speaking of that… Looks like you and Candace made up?" Natasha states. "Yeah. We're on slightly better terms now. I'm not gonna kill him at first sight." I giggle. "Oh, wait a minute." Gabe adds, pulling out something from a backpack. "Remember that Supernatural and Rogue Hound convention we went to?" "The one where you kept on trying to make me choose between Iron Hound, Rogue Angel and..." A shiver runs up my spine as I choke on the word. "Calith?" "Yeah, I bought little action figures for everyone. Dean, Sam and Cas all have theirs, but I kept mine, Candace's and Tony's, for whatever reason we'd need." "Give me Tony's." I demand. Gabriel reluctantly hands it to me, and I melt it. "Now I've worked out all my frustrations." I announce, letting the plastic drip onto the paper plate.

"Yay!" Tony runs over and gives me a hug, suit and all. "Wow, you definitely got taller since we last met up." I smirk. "What are you, now, about a half inch shorter than me? Before, you were a full 2 inches shorter." "Hey, don't rub it in!"

"Shut up. This vessel's, what, five foot five inches? Being short isn't always fun." Gabriel puts in his two cents. "You're just sore cuz you can't pass for a little kid with all that stubble." Luci taunts. "Coming from the six foot three guy!" Stark whines. "Can I just eat my Shawarma in peace?" Clint groans from his seat next to Natasha. "Hey, we aren't gonna do a full Broadway number… yet."

I laugh a glance at everyone at the table, Thor is loudly devouring his way through his sandwich, having no manners whatsoever. Nat and Clint have taken up half of the other's chair. Steve looks like he is about to fall asleep. The Archangels are stuffing their faces, while somehow sustaining incredible table manners. Cas is just sitting there awkwardly…

"Cas, you're allowed to eat something…" I point out. "Angels do not require sustenance." He responds. All eyes turn to the Archangels, who are still devouring the food. Luci rolls his eyes and gives a sassy response, "Mortals don't _need_ alcohol, but they still consume it! Things like food are enjoyable to indulge in."

"Wow, those were some big words, brother." Mike says, mockingly. Luci starts tearing up dramatically. "You- you called me 'brother'!" He then lunges to tackle Mike in a bear hug. "You've forgiven me!" I swear… sometimes I can't even tell if these guys are adults or not.

"Not." Mike says simply. Stay out of my head. "That is incredibly contradictory." I roll my eyes and turn back to Cas, "If you're not going to eat, you can return to your boy toy. I know you're missing each other." I barely finish the sentence before he is gone… Clearly they've been apart for long enough.

"Okay… Since we are friends again I'm going to assume the rule about me being allowed to ask whatever and not have my head bit off applies." Tony says after a moment.

I think about it for a second, "Shoot. Don't push your luck, but shoot." I say. "Why don't you call yourself an Avenger?" He asks. All eyes turn to me, probably wondering the same thing… How do I put this?

"Oh, and none of that 'I'm not human' crap. We already have the jolly green giant, goldilocks and Captain, who is apparently your blood 'son'." Tony interrupts my thought process.

"This…" I say, gesturing around to all of them. "Is a team for heroes. My past, permanently bans me from the title." I say after a moment of trying to figure out how to phrase it.

Natasha raises her brows, "And you think _I_ deserve that title?" "The Red Room is a brainwashing organization, and _I_ was the one to drop you there as a child… For every kill you've ever made, I can be held accountable, you had no choice in the matter."

Steve sighs, "You didn't have much choice either…" "No. I had every opportunity to do the right thing. There is no way to force me to do anything."

I each around my neck, holding up one of the two necklaces I alway have on. The one I hold up is the dumb binding necklace, the other is a gag gift Tony got me oh so long ago. It's in the shape of a dog tag with the word 'bones' cleanly printed. I don't know why I never took it off. I could never melt it down either.

"This is the only way to control me, but even this can be overcome if I am stubborn enough. I had _plenty_ choice!" I growl, pushing away the rest of my sandwich, I'm not hungry anymore. Hero? That is a title I will never have.

"Remind me to introduce you to Wade Wilson one day." Gabe says, grabbing my abandoned sandwich. "He sounds fun." I smirk. "He literally radiates sarcasm." _Is that the annoying fugly avocado with a grim sense of humor?_ "Uh… Yeah. How did you know that?"

Did he never tell me about Wade? Funny… It feels like he did, I can even pull up a decent picture of the guy. _Maybe you met him once but the memory got wiped?_ _No there's gotta be a simpler answer._

"Well, telepathic conversations aside!" Tony interrupts. "Let's make it a vote. Who wants to completely undermine Candace's wishes and make her an Avenger anyway?" Every hand goes up. "Seems it's unanimous. So, as an Avenger you have to listen to the team rules! One of them is living in the Avenger's tower once I finish it."

"If I live there, so do the archangels." I warn. "No problem! It'll be fun!" Tony declares. I narrow my eyes, "Angel and demon warding everywhere?" "On the back of the paintings like last time." "Random people showing up all the time?" "All of your friends are awesome!"

"Me disappearing in the middle of the night?" "You know I hardly notice!" "The blood stains from my hunts?" Tony throws his finger to the Assassins at the table, "These guys are allowed in, aren't they?" I narrow my eyes further

"When are you going to realize, just like last time, nothing you can say is going to deter me from wanting you to live in the tower?" Tony sighs. I gain a little smirk. "What about the child I adopted?" The table seems to freeze, other than Gabe and Steve, they already knew.

"Ah… What?" Tony asks. "Jesse, the cambion. I adopted him. I told him after the Apocalypse was over and I had a place to live, he could live with me. Right now he is traveling the world with Luca." I explain. Tony very hesitantly nods his head.

"Is he the reason for the Statue of Liberty became male for a couple hours?" Clint asks, somewhat aware of what Cambion means. "No, that is what happens when Gabe and I get drunk." I say bluntly."Oh. Remind me to not get you guys drunk." Natasha mutters. "HEY! That was all Gabe. I can assure you that it was All. Gabriel." I defend. "Not gonna argue with that. Besides, it took us all the liquor in the state to even get tipsy." "Then again, when we got our hands on some Asgardian mead for my birthday party, it took us maybe eighty five shots?"

"Thor, remind me to never give them two barrels of Asgardian liquor, for any reason." Tony breaks in. "Alright…" Thor says reluctantly. "Stark, you're rich enough to buy all the liquor in the _country_ , let alone a state. Keep a tight hold on your credit cards." Clint laughs.

Gabriel fabricates a bottle of scotch into his hand. "If we want to get drunk… We'll find a way." He says, calmly taking a sip. "Thank God for Archangel's powers!" I exclaim. Luci, Mike and Gabriel start chuckling at my outburst. Gabriel hands me the bottle before fabricating another for himself.

I take a small sip, "Archangel food and drink is a million times better anyway." I say, downing the rest of this magnificently tasting drink that could only have come directly from heaven! "It's times like this I wonder if you're fully sane." Mike mutters.

"Of course I'm not! But Devil knows why!" Luci doesn't laugh for this one. Gabe sighs, "You're puns aren't punny anymore." "Says my main ally during the terror that was World War Nun!" "Those jokes had class. These? Nun at all." Oh my god, that's one of the worst puns ever.

I roll my eyes at him before realizing something. "We still have another Apocalypse to deal with!" I all but groan. _Shit shit shit shit shit LEVIATHAN._ _You sounded like you were about to drop a mixtape or somethin'._ Well… time to figure out how to _not_ get digested alive this time!

"Anyway we can help?" Steve asks. I shake my head, "I don't care about any argument you guys come up with, I'm not involving mortals in supernatural business." "I'm not sure you realised, but some of us aren't even 'mortal'. Thor's an Asgardian, Banner's got the Hulk on his side, and I have hellhound blood in me. The other ones are either accustomed to supernatural activity or will quickly be accustomed."

I roll my eyes at Steve, "I'm not sure if you realized, I said 'I don't care about any argument you guys come up with.' The Leviathans are my fault. I'm not going to have you clean up my mess." The archangels look confused.

"How is it your fault? Blaming Ralph or Cassy I understand, but you? Doesn't make sense." Mike says. "If I was faster I would have been able to stop Castiel, stop everything." I say. "Well, you only knew the world needed saving twenty hours prior, not your fault you didn't have enough time." Luci shrugs.

"It's my fault Crowley got the spell to begin with." I point out. "No, I was the one that physically told him." Gabriel argues. "Because my stupidity got me bound!" "It was the Winchesters that bound you!"

"The Winchesters wouldn't have done that if I hadn't lost their trust by lying to them!" "It was the only way to stop the Apocalypse!" "That wouldn't have happened if I hadn't dragged Dean into hell!

"Literally anything that ever happened on this planet can be traced back to either me or Li- Li- Lil- _her_. And even then, she would order me to do her fuckin' dirty work!" Why can't I just say her name?! I should be able to say her name!

Gabe's voice lowers, "You're that determined to take the blame for everything?" He almost whispers. Because it's my fault. I refuse to let anyone take the blame for something that rest solely on _my_ shoulders. Gabriel sighs in defeat.

"How does any of that apply to why we can't help you?" Tony asks. It's amazing how adept he is at hearing the words but losing their meaning. "No one else is going to get hurt because of me." And with that, I shadow travel to where I know Dean is. It's amazing how often I forget about that little ability I gained by dragging him into hell.

I land in Bobby's living room, this is where they are always going to be isn't it? They, as in Castiel, Sam, Dean, Bobby and Ellen don't even seem phased by my sudden appearance. Ellen and Bobby, are however, bothered by the sudden appearance of Lucifer and Michael.

"You know it's rude to leave like that?" Mike says, leaning on his left shoulder on the door frame leading to the kitchen. Lucifer leans on the other side while Gabriel pops down on the couch next to Sam. Dean is in a chair by the stairs, Castiel standing behind him. Bobby is in 'his' seat, Ellen is sitting on the desk.

I ignore Mike's question, "What's with the family meeting?" I turn to Dean jokingly, "Does your father disapprove of his little princess' choice in a boyfriend?" I ignore his slightly embarrassed look and turn to Ellen. "It's been awhile, Ellen." I nod, being uncharacteristically nice. She nods in agreement.

"We were discussing about how to get rid of the billion uglies that got loose from your hometown." Bobby answers. "I didn't grow up in Purgatory… I spent long enough, however, to know every little corner of it." I know every cave, every bend in the river, even where a root would trip those chasing me. Memorizing things like that… That's what I'm good at.

"Do you have a way to sniff out Leviathan? That honestly would help a lot." Dean asks. "In purgatory, yes, but I'm not sure about the surface world." "If we can come up with a list of known leviathan, I think we could figure out their patterns." Lucifer speaks up.

"It's been three days!" "Yes… They kill and replace people quickly." The hunters just shake their heads, "Okay… Who's a Leviathan?" "Justin Bieber, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Taylor Swift, Richard Roman, several bankers, political officials, they even replaced a couple of the judges on the supreme court." "Yay. How are we gonna kill them?" "You can't."

"What?!" I roll my eyes, "I told you before those things were let out, you can't kill them. You can let them out, no way to force them back in. The only way to even think of ridding the world of them is to cut off the head of the leader. They could reform otherwise."

"You would by any chance be able to recognize their leader?" Sam asks, hopefully. "Ugh… I _hate_ that guy! He's eaten me before… Twice. I think he's turned it into a game! Hellhounds are impossible to find if we don't want to be, and I'm the only hellhound that doesn't immediately join the pack when I'm down there… The perfect hunt." "I must say… That guy's a dick!" "Quite apt… Because he's masquerading as Richard Roman." Dean smirks. "How immature must you be?" I sigh.

"He's got the mindset of a teenager, so, very immature." Ellen says. "I'm honestly not surprised." "Men are a great mystery." Jo smiles. "Six million years and I'm still clueless!" I agree. "Oh, and the rest of you men, don't pull that 'but not all men' bullshit on us."

Dean coughs rather loudly and awkwardly. "Ah… Anyway… What are we doing about the Leviathan?" I let out a sigh, "What can you not grasp about 'you can't kill them'?" I ask. "Not necessarily…" Mike mutters. "What?" "They bleed, don't they? If it can bleed you can kill it. They _will_ reform in purgatory and try to get out again, but they'll be dead." Mike says.

"Okay, sure, great plan! Two problems! One, how do we know that they won't just find another door, and Two, _How_ do we kill it?" Dean asks. "Well, I can answer the first one. Leviathan can't pass through any of the back roads. They can only get out through the eclipse." I say. They eventually figured out after a decade, to the day, I would be dragged out of Purgatory. They decided to try to leach on and get a ride… I hate that guy.

"As for the _how_ , there is a way… but I forgot." Mike says shamefully. Great! "So, Great Granddad _did_ make a way to destroy his ultimate beast, he just never thought to write it down? Have it accessible if we ever needed it? A 'in case of emergency, this is how you get rid of Leviathan' note?"

The Angels seem to light up slightly, "He did! He had Metatron -we all call him Megatron behind his back- write down a series of tablets, each one about a different topic. There are dozens of them, hidden everywhere. A Human Tablet, A Vampire Tablet, Werewolf, Hellhound, Angel, Demon, I'm pretty sure he made one dedicated to frogs. Everything has a tablet… Even Leviathan." Gabe says.

"That's great! Any idea where they are?" I ask, seeing a small little glimmer of hope. "I have the Angel and Hellhound tablet in one of my crypts." Luci admits. "Balthazar stole the Human tablet from Heaven… I have access to it." Castiel says. "I like collecting the odd ones, Vampire, Werewolf, Ghost, Witches, Windigo, jellyfish, anteater, Etc." Gabe says.

"Do any of you know where Demon or Leviathan is?" Sam asks. "No…" Mike says. Well, no one ever said it would be easy.


	41. Chapter 40

"Okay! New plan! Angels, you're on Tablet duty, search _everywhere_ for the tablets. The hunters… you do what you do best, Hunt. Just because the Leviathans have joined the game doesn't mean any of the other pieces disappeared." I order.

"What about the Avengers?" Gabe asks. I spin around violently, glaring at Gabe. "What?" I growl. "Are you going to call them?" _**They could help speed up the search for the tablet, maybe even run surveillance on the Leviathan.**_ "No!" I bark. "They _want_ to help." _I am not involving civilians with the Supernatural!_ _**They are hardly civilians.**_ "I don't care! I'm not forcing them to endanger themselves with _my_ mess!"

Gabe sighs. _**You're even more stubborn than Luci and the Winchesters combined.**_ "I try." I say sassily. "So, we're _not_ getting help from TV's biggest gossip story?" Ellen asks, gesturing to the TV with her left hand. My eyes fly to a emerald ring on her ring-finger. On the ring is an Anti-possession symbol. Is that...? _**Yeah, Bobby and Ellen got married while you were in the arctic.**_ _Why did no one tell me?_ _ **You weren't exactly on the invite list.**_

"What do you mean by gossip story?" I ask. Dean turns on the sound to the previously muted TV and just starts flipping through channels. "Despite the devastation of what has been confirmed as an Extraterrestrial attack , the extraordinary heroics of the group know as the Avengers-" The channel flips. "It's just really great knowing they're out there, you know? That someone is watching over us-" "I LOVE YOU THOR!" I roll my eyes at the woman's outburst.

Dean flips the channel again, "I don't exactly feel safe with those things out there." "It just feels like there is a lot they're not telling us." "Superheros in New York? Give me a break." _**Oh look! A third Stan Lee cameo!**_ _Who the fuck is Stan Lee?_ The three Archangels sigh in unison.

"These so called 'heros' have to be held responsible for the destruction caused to the city. This was their fight… Where are they now?!" Oh! I tried really hard to keep the city in one piece! I managed prevent _any_ casualties, I'm _so_ sorry that I wasn't able to save a couple blocks worth of buildings! It's not like a certain Billionaire donated enough to both rebuild and upgrade the entire city or anything!

"Many questions have been raised about the Avengers themselves, some Identities have been revealed, others not. Known are Thor, Tony Stark's 'Iron Man', Steve Rogers AKA Captain America, and the Hulk. We have not been able to identify the other seven members of the team. Two code names have been provided, Black Widow and Hawkeye. Several members have remained completely unidentifiable, but it has been theorized, that the Pyrokinetic wolf is in fact, Candace Armina, Tony Stark's ex-girlfriend."

I clinch my fist as the reporter gets a call. He answers and a very recognisable voice can be heard, "Hello world, just to put a couple things to rest, Candace and I never dated. She turned me down. As for the other question, Yes, she is the Rogue Hound. But as you should know she hates the paparazzi so trying to ask her any questions would not be in your best interest. And Candace? Don't kill me for giving you a hero name, I'm just trying to save you from whatever stupid thing the public creates!" And with that he hangs up.

Oh… He is so dead. Everyone in the room gives me wary looks as I pull out my phone. "JARVIS, you still here?" I ask. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me." The A.I. responds. Is it weird that I missed a program? _**Yes.**_ _Does it look like I care?_ _ **No.**_

"Pull up the blackmail folder I have on Tony… Post _everything_ on Tony's facebook, Instagram, Twitter and tumblr page. On each post put #TheHoundsRevenge." I order. After a couple seconds JARVIS responds, "Done, Ms. Armina. Anything else you require?" "Yeah, don't let Tony delete _anything_." "Of course, Miss." "Thanks, J!" "My pleasure."

I put my phone back into my pocket. "That should do it." I mutter to myself. "Ah, okay. So… Now what?" Sam asks. I glance at the Angels. They get the hint and disappear, Mike stays behind. "Someone has to make sure you don't get yourselves killed." He explains. _**I'm mostly worried about you.**_ _Nice to know you have so much faith in me!_ _ **Faith that you will always be reckless.**_ _Yeah, that's not gonna change._

"So, I guess now we find a hunt…" Sam says. "Don't worry, the Angels will find the Tablet pretty quickly." I assure. _Umm, can any of you read it?_ _ **Nope, we're going to have to kidnap Kevin Tran!**_ … _Who's that?_ _ **Some Asian kid in advanced placement.**_

"Well, Jo and a small group of hunters just took down Osiris, the next thing we found was this thing in Prosperity, Indiana." Ellen reads off. "Woman electrocuted, basically fried alive, by one of those hair dryer things in a salon."

I walk up to the desk, looking at the reports. These reports are five hours old… well, The Singers and the Winchesters aren't called the best hunters for nothing. "Well, you don't see that everyday." I say, looking at one of the photos.

"And this other guy…" Dean continues where Ellen left off, "Boiled in a hot tub." "Damn." I turn to the boys, "So, we're going to Prosperity?" I ask. The boys nod, "Bobby, Ellen? You good?" Dean asks, grabbing his keys.

"Yeah, I'm going to look through some of these books… See if we get lucky and find something about how to gank Leviathans." Bobby says, turning around to pull a book off his shelf. "Good luck."

I get into the back of the Impala, noting that Mike decided to sit next to me instead of flying ahead and waiting there. "Why are you riding with me? You could be using your awesome angel powers." I ask. "Someone's gotta keep you from dying again." Michael shrugs.

"You really think I'm going to die during a car ride?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. Dean pulls out of Bobby's yard, driving down the main road. "You almost died once, driving from Tony's Malibu home to Sioux Falls…" "I am not driving, this time." I point out.

"No, a Winchester is." I remain silent for a moment… "You win." "Hey! What's wrong with my driving?!" Dean asks. "You have, on more than one occasion, proven that you can outrun cop cars, drive at insane speeds, and somehow manage to stay in one piece. Oh, wait, your car didn't survive. Remember when you got broadsided by Yellow-eyes?" Mike starts listing.

Dean glares at the Archangel through the rear view mirror, "I thought it was Gabe's job to be overprotective." He points out, trying to change the subject from his driving. "Gabe isn't here, so he asked me to protect you… I am also here on behalf of Luci."

Mike called him a nickname! They really are getting along better! "Not by much. We still have a pact of mutually assured destruction between us." "I'll take what I can get… and stay out of my head." "I'm not in your head, you just think loudly." "... I need to work on shielding my thoughts."

On our drive to Prosperity, Michael and I work on some mind tricks. There's even some Jedi-style tricks I didn't know. By the time we arrive, I've successfully mastered shielding my thoughts, shielding others' thoughts, and inhibiting others' minds. The boys were annoyed… They were the only guinea pigs I had for my powers.

It's gonna come in handy, cuz we've got some witches on our hands. There's trouble in the air, I can smell it. I groan as Dean pulls into the first Motel he sees. "Why is it, that's it's always wrong time worst place with you two?" I ask. "What?" "It's like you two are giant trouble magnets! Sure, I'm not much better, but you two are Mortal! How can you attract as much chaos as I do?!" I start ranting.

"I take it you know what we're hunting?" Dean interrupts. I take a deep breath and nod. "Yeah, two immortal witches. If I had to guess, they are mad at each other for some reason and people are getting caught in the crosshairs." I say.

"I guess this is a bad time to mention the Leviathan following us?" Mike speaks up. Dean sighs and gets out of the Impala, "We knew it was going to happen eventually." So now we have to watch our back for Leviathan… Awesome. "Is it too much for me to ask that I not get eaten alive this time?" I ask quietly, almost like a prayer to God.

I sigh as I crawl out of the car. I'm never that lucky. Mike just disappears and reappears outside of the car… Lazy much? "Say what you will, flying is just easier." Mike shrugs. I try to close off my mind. I don't think I'll be able to keep out an Archangel if they really want in, but it's enough for me.

"Okay, so do you know where these witches are? Or how to kill them?" Sam asks. It's amazing how accustomed they are to me having telepathic conversations with the Archangels. "Can't exactly kill them… just need to stop them." "So what? We're going all Dr. Phil on their asses?" Dean asks, sarcastically. "Yes." His face drops, something tells me he wasn't expecting his joke to be taken seriously. "I don't wanna be a witch counselor." "If it'll make you feel better, I can go in and be the witch counselor."

"What if they don't stop? What if they _want_ to fight?" Sam asks. I point to Mike, "If I can force him and Lucifer to stop fighting, I can handle some married quarreling." "Yeah, the only way you were able to stop them is because you bound them. Any more souls on a leash for you could lead to disastrous consequences." "I won't have to bind them this time."

I stand by the car, and almost immediately catch the scent of the two warring witches. "Well, they're not exactly hiding." Mike groans, "You're going to just kick down their door aren't you?" "No… That would be rude." I respond. "I'm going to knock." "Nice to know you aren't completely evil." It takes all of three minutes for me to run toward the Witches' home. Sam and Dean follow but lag behind. Michael beats me there.

I knock, rather politely, and wait. There's someone yelling at someone else that there's someone at the door. The door is yanked open by a young looking man who has a fake smile plastered on his face. It takes him all of two seconds to realize my aura isn't mortal… or even human.

"Your-" I shove a hand onto his chest are start walking into the house. I lead/push him into the living room, where the other witch is waiting, obviously ready to fight with her husband some more. I push him towards his wife and trap the two of them in a circle of Dragon fire.

"Good Afternoon, I'm Candace." I introduce super politely. "Yeah… There is no point in being polite at this point." Mike says as Sam and Dean plop down on the sofa… That's just rude. I roll my eyes at the Archangel. _Can you use your mind tricks to find out why they are fighting?_ _ **The woman's best friend filled her head with lies that the husband has been unfaithful.**_ _What are their names?_ _ **Don and Margaret Stark.**_ _Oh, my God, that's hilarious._ _ **Yes, but don't bring Dad into this.**_

"Margaret… While it is perfectly understandable to accuse Mr. Stark of cheating -Anyone with a brain would- did you actually ask? Or did you just start killing people?" I ask. The Witches stop trying to futilely dispel my fire and look up at me.

"I don't have to answer any of your questions… You barged into our house and attacked us." Margaret says, summoning some water to try and put out the flames. "What are you?" Mr. Stark asks. "An Alpha Hellhound." When Mom and Dad aren't around. They seem to give up on putting out my flames. "That explains the pyrokinetic wolf of Manhattan." "They've started calling me 'Rogue Hound'." I emphasize. "In fact, it was Tony Stark who gave me that name. No relation to you, I hope."

Margaret smiles, I can tell it's very fake, "I don't think so." "Although, if your husband was somehow related to Tony, I think the womanizing trait got passed down. Anyway, all this is beside the point." I say.

Margaret crosses her arms, "Then do tell, What is the point?" Wow… I don't think I'm on her good side. "You need to stop fighting." "And why should I get along with this bitch?" Mr. Stark says pointing to his wife. "Like your Mr. Perfect!" "You married me didn't you?" I roll my eyes at the two of them.

"You guys have been together, for what, centuries? I would think you'd know each other well enough and trust each other enough to tell the other when you're upset." "I-" "I know there's dysfunctional relationships in the world, but this is by far one of the most fucked up. Killing people, to get back at him? Not a good idea."

"What do you know about our relationship?! He cheated on me!" Maggie yells.

"Wendy meant nothing to me! It was over as soon as it started!" Don argues.

"She was part of a pattern. I've had 800 years of this. Don't make me bring up the Renaissance."

"Oh, oh! You're one to talk. 1492 ring any bells?"

"The man was about to set sail! He could fall off of the edge of the Earth. I took pity. So, what's your excuse?"

"I told you. Nothing happened with the Medici chick!"

"Shut up!" I scream. They both snap their heads to me. "Margaret, Don, You've both made mistakes, And you have both forgiven each other before… What is different about this time? What made you start killing innocent people?!" I ask.

"It's a pattern! It's just going to happen again in a couple decades, no matter how many times he promises he won't… He just can't resist!" Margaret says. " _I_ can't resist! What about back during World War two?! You tried to seduce Steve Rogers!"

Wait… really? When did this happen? I demand an explanation! "Have you _seen_ him? It was only going to be a one time thing!" "In front of Peggy Carter! Anyone with eyes could see they were courting!" "So, I needed to get a slice before she stole the pie!"

"Enough!" I bark, not even caring that I actually barked. "Margaret, you don't trust Don to be faithful. Don, you don't trust Margaret to be faithful… Have you ever tried this little thing called an oath?" "What?" "By your Troth, By the Styx, an unbreakable vow. Maybe that'd keep you motivated to stay true." Sam, Dean and Michael are just quiet the whole time. "Either you agree to get along and make an unbreakable vow, or I kill you right here." Both witches pale, and I smirk. "That's what I thought."

[Page Break]

We get back to the hotel and I decide to collapse on one of the queen sized beds. "How are you tired? All you did was talk to some witches." Dean says, taking a drink from his flask. "How are you so good at that by the way?" Sam brings up. "Two more minutes and you would have had Castiel back then, is talking people in and out of things just a gift?"

"Messing with relationships, manipulating things, the Lucifer family business." Dean just gives me a bitch face. "Hey, if you can say it, I can too." Sam shrugs. "Fair enough." "Also, Dean, to answer your original question, you seem to forget that I had to keep up a ring of dragon fire around them for a while. Honestly, that was kinda draining." I fall back on the pillows and sit in silence for a few moments.

Within two seconds I grumpily sit back up. "There is a Leviathan standing outsid-" Crash! "Never mind, there is a Leviathan inside the motel room." Dean jumps up and starts shooting at it with a revolver, but that only seems to piss it off. Back blood oozes from the gunshot wound as it advances forward.

I surround it in a circle of fire. I have no idea what type of fire even works against Leviathan, so I just create ring after ring of every single one there is. Mike is careful to stay away from the Holy fire. Eventually I just combine all of them, and that stops this thing for a moment. _Gabe, you wanna show up with Luci now?_

Almost instantly the Archangels are in the room. "Hey Luci?" "Hmm?" "You know how you're always asking if you can kill something?" I point at the Leviathan. "Go nuts." The Leviathan starts laughing. "Oh, so you're the Hound big boss has declared off limits. The 'Immortal Appetizer' he calls you."

I make the fire circle smaller, but the Leviathan just keeps talking. "He remembers eating you in Purgatory. Described it as one of the best things ever. Just pure energy. The right amount of Hellfire to make it spicy, just enough angel grace for it to be sweet." This guy is starting to get on my nerves.

"He's given us specific orders, _we're_ not allowed to eat or kill you… We have to bring you to him. It's not often we find something that satisfies _his_ tastes… even less often does it come in the form of a buffet." Oh Great Grandfather, this is getting incredibly creepy.

I turn to Luci, "You're in charge of finding a way to kill them, burn them, slow them down and just plainly hurt them… No restrictions." He smirks, and his expression is one of pure glee and evil. The Leviathan's cocky facade slips, and they both disappear.

I allow myself to collapse on the couch, it seems I always end up sleeping on the sofa with the Winchesters. Whatever. It takes me a bit longer than usual to fall asleep. I guess knowing that the Alpha Leviathan is after you isn't exactly a comfort.

I eventually fall asleep on this lumpy, filthy motel couch. I barely even notice Gabriel replacing it with something a lot fancier. He also give me a warm and fluffy blanket that smells oddly like him… a mix of milky way bars, musketeers, sour skittles, chocolate, cinnamon and gummy bears. I happily greet the peaceful sleep that only comes when Gabriel is around.


	42. Chapter 41

**Gabriel's POV:**

I very carefully make sure that Candace is asleep. I use a small bit of grace to make sure that she won't wake up while I'm gone. I teleport to New York, arriving just in time to see the Avengers send Loki and Thor to Asgard.

"Gabriel…" Steve acknowledges once he sees me, drawing all the other pairs of eyes over to me. Tony happily bounces up, "So Candace is coming back?" He asks excited. Why is he so thrilled about her being around. I take a brief glance into his mind. 'We still need to talk about what happened. Not that I'm the caring and sharing type, but it'll make our friendship less awkward.'

"Or it could make it worse." I point out. Tony glares at me, "Stay out of my head." It's not nearly as adorable when Candace says it… She hasn't said it in awhile. I haven't been that annoying lately? I'll have to fix that.

"Where is Candace?" Natasha asks, walking up with Clint and Banner. "Not here! Just me!" I exclaim happily, making my voice do this little thing that drives most people crazy. "So what are you here? I thought you stuck around Candace as if you were on a leash?" Clint speaks up.

Well… he isn't too far off. Yeah, I know what happened during Candace's birthday party. The Winchesters always seem to have it on their mind. I'm keeping quiet for Candace's sake, Dad knows she has enough to deal with on her own. Though it does make me happy to know that I don't have to worry about losing her to someone else.

"Which is exactly why I need to make this quick." I respond. "Please, don't tell Candace I asked you to do this…" I beg. That got their attention. "We could use your help with the Leviathan… More than Candace wants to admit."

"So you're bringing us in?!" Tony asks excitedly. Candace was always ridiculously careful to keep him away from anything supernatural. He hasn't ever been on a single hunt. Not even a simple salt and burn case. "No, not exactly. I'm going to be utilizing your help, but she would _definitely_ kill me if I brought you onto the supernatural battleground."

"I thought Archangels couldn't die?" Clint sasses. "Exactly." Natasha interrupts, getting down to the point before as she put it. 'These idiots decide to start another argument with an immortal that they have no chance of winning'. "What do you need us to do?"

"I need to utilize your connections. Leviathan are shape shifters, can look like anyone. They have already replaced several important government officials. We know that their leader has taken over Richard Roman. I need you to gather everything you can on him. Where his funds are going, what he's doing. I want to know if he buys a snickers."

Natasha and Clint seem thrilled with the assignment. It falls directly into their area of expertise. Tony seems upset that it is purely surveillance work. "Also, from what I've gathered from Candace's mind. They're smart. They might use the Winchesters' faces and frame them for several accounts of murder. It would be a huge help if you brushed that away. Controlling the press is a skill you seem to have acquired over the years." Tony seems a bit happier with that job.

I'm able to tell through the link that Candace is getting ready to wake up. What is it with her and never getting enough sleep? Even if I use my grace to help. "Welp, looks like it's time for me to go!" And with that I disappear.

Faster than I thought possible, I get back to the motel, and rid myself of the Avenger's stench. If she had woken up and smelled them she would have immediately questioned it. Then knowing me I wouldn't be able to lie to her and tell her the truth. Right around here is when she would attempt to fry my wings extra crispy.

I sit down at the foot of the bed I made for her. The restlessness I was sensing dies out and she falls back into a peaceful slumber. Okay… If I have to stay right here to make sure she gets a good eight hours then so be it.

 **Candace's POV:**

When I wake up, quite some time later, I am instantly met with the scent of pancakes and bacon. Sam has already awoken, Dean is still lying in his bed, half asleep. Gabe is sitting on the edge of my sofa-turned-luxury-bed. Mike is standing by the door, looking out the window, and Luci is nowhere to be found. "He's still experimenting on the Leviathan." Mike answers bluntly.

"I hope he's getting somewhere, because I truly would like to not get eaten alive by Roman." Then brought back to life and hunted all over again. If I wasn't the target, I would probably appreciate the poeticness of it. The world's greatest hunter, tracking dog, is being hunted down like some common deer.

I roll over so that I can sit up and reach the Red Velvet cake Pancakes on the table. I take a bite… Gabe still holds the title for best chef, Luci not far behind. You know what would make this even be- the cream cheese icing is suddenly perfectly spread over my pancakes. It creates a beautiful pattern.

This is when I notice how careful Gabe is to keep his thought controlled and away from something... "What'd you do?" I ask with a huff. "What?" He asks, feigning innocence. Sam looks up from the laptop he never gets out of his face. I point to the pancakes.

"You're sucking up. You normally wouldn't give me one of my favorites unless I beg for it…" "Is it wrong that I felt like being nice today?" "When are you ever just 'nice'?" "So because I am in a different mood I'm hiding something from you?" "No, if it was just the pancakes I would have just chopped it up to a good mood. But you're being extra careful to keep me out of certain parts of your head. Yesterday you didn't care. So… What did you do that you don't want me knowing about?"

I can hear the gears in his head moving at a thousand miles an hour trying to make up a good lie. "Okay! I went to talk to the Avengers! Christmas is just around the corner and I wanted to surprise you!" I narrow my eyes. Both of those sentences are the truth… He went to talk to the Avengers. He does want to surprise me… But he didn't talk about Christmas with the Avengers.

Plus, that wouldn't give him a reason to suck up. So, he went to talk to the Avengers last night. And something he talked to them about would make me upset. Something he knows I wouldn't like… I must say, his poker face is almost as good as Luci's. Too bad a lesson in lying is included in the Devil's training regimen.

I let out a sigh as I figure it out. "You asked for help with the Leviathan?" "Only to control the press and run surveillance on Roman!" Gabriel defends, giving up on hiding. I think about it for a moment. This will mostly satisfy their irrational desire to help and keep them out of the field.

All the people in the room- Dean woke up a couple seconds ago- are watching me like they are expecting me to blow up. Gabe is braced for something. I can use this… Careful to keep my thoughts controlled. "So let me get this straight… You knew I wanted them as far away from this as possible." I whisper… Which is probably more intimidating than if I were to yell.

Gabriel nods but I keep up the pretense, "So you go and ask them to get involved? Behind my back, might I add. I didn't want them involved, and now they are playing private investigator?" I can see Michael trying not to crack up. I didn't bother hiding my thoughts from him.

"Yes?" He says, his voice hitching like it's a question. "Good." I say, returning to the heavenly pancakes and bacon. The tension in the room seems to defuse. Sam and Dean catch the joke. Sam goes back to finding another case, Dean to getting ready for the day. The look on Gabriel's face is hilarious. "What?"

"You heard me. It's probably better that we gave them _something_ to do. If we didn't, Tony would have gone guns blazing straight into Richard Roman's office. This way, he will be satisfied that he's helping out, but away from the uglies." Gabe starts stammering, "b-bu-but, you were mad! You were two seconds away from finding a way to kill me!"

I start laughing, "Your face!" Realization crosses his features… I was messing with him. "YOU!" He says, pointing a finger at me, "Are evil!" "Sure I am, what's your point?" I smirk. Gabriel just glares at me for a moment, "Of course she's evil. She takes after me!" Lucifer says, showing up, leaning on my shoulder, eating a piece of my bacon. I have to resist burning his hand for stealing my bacon.

"Good results, I hope?" I ask, bringing my breakfast plate closer to me… No one takes my food. _**At least you can eat a full meal now.**_ _Always look on the bright side._ "The best, of course. I couldn't figure out how to kill them, honestly don't think there _is_ one. But I found plenty of ways to slow them down." Lucifer says, snapping up his own plate of bacon.

"Okay… go on." Dean urges. "Well… Over the past two years with this guy I found a couple things." Two years?! Archangels and their time loops! "They regenerate, but they can't exactly do that if they don't have all the pieces. Separating their head slows them down. They are slowed down even further if you cauterize the stump."

"I tried burning… Hell fire, Holy fire, Greek fire, Dragon fire, I even tried ordinary fire just for the Hell of it. Nothing. Hell fire and Holy fire sorta work, but not to the extent we're looking for. There are a couple odd things I found… Like how it has allergies to acetone, peppermint oils, butterfly wings and jellyfish venom. But that just annoyed them. Oh! And cleaning supplies burn them. Borax specifically." "So, borax bath bombs for everyone?" "I don't think that's very practical."

"Well, I think we should always have a bit of Borax on hand, just like we carry salt and silver and holy water." I point out. "And Iron for us." Dean speaks up. I glare at him, "What? Just in case!" "In case you need to keep me in line? Like Fury had iron bullets?" "Nothing like that. In case we meet a ghost, or something else vulnerable to iron." I can tell he's not lying, so I stand down.

"I'm sorry, Dean… I'm just, wary of everyone now." I say, putting one hand on my forehead. "Right…" "Anyway! What did you do with the Leviathan?" I ask Luci. "Threw the head into Tartarus, hid the body in one of my crypts." Yeah…. He's not coming back for while. "Good job!"

It isn't a normal day until you praise the Devil! _Another Achievement unlocked!_ _Not a good time Daisie…_ _It's never a good time! Why don't you talk to me anymore?_ _Because you're annoying!_ _ **Does this mean I can get rid of her now?! For good?!**_ _I'm only gonna come back…_ _Don't bother. I'll talk to her later._ _Yay!_

Dean sighs, drawing my attention away from our mental conversation. "Well… at least we have _something_ to use against them now." He admits. "But nothing to send them back to purgatory." I remind. "So, no bringing the fight to them is what you're saying?" Sam infers.

"It's exactly what I'm saying. The plan hasn't changed. Archangels work on finding the tablet, we work on finding any leads the Hunter way. And any ugly that shows its face in the process, we deal with." I order.

All of the Archangels, save Mike, disappear. Sam and Dean start collecting their things… Why can't they just stay in the same hotel while looking for a case? I guess they don't like to be in the same place for too long… reasonable.

I climb into the back of the Impala, "Let's go find the next ugly." Sam mutters, opening his phone. And the cycle continues.

[Page Break]

The next couple weeks continue normally. Or as normally as they can…We have to deal with Leviathan Sam and Dean going on a murder spree. Luckily, Natasha and Clint erased all record of that happening. Then we deal with a ghost that is killing psychics. It was hilarious to watch Sam and Dean try and figure out the tricks, especially since a couple of them were actually psychic.

Dean and I are on the 'annual trip to Vegas' when we get a call from Sam. He wants us to meet him at a chapel a few blocks away- and to wear something formal. Ok, something's up. Dean would never wear anything formal unless it's to impersonate FBI, and I will never wear anything formal, period.

The fact that we have to go to a _chapel_ makes me uneasy. I never liked churches or chapels or cathedrals. Maybe because I feel like God is judging me, just because I'm not one of _his_ creations- I'm hellspawn. Anyway, once we arrive, and after Sam and I convince Dean to put his gun away, there's organ music playing… and someone I didn't think I'd see again shows up in the doorway.

Becky, completely decked out in a gorgeous wedding dress, walks toward us at the front of the chapel. This is a wedding? If I'd've known, I would have gladly dressed up in a fancy as all hell evening gown. _**I ALREADY HAVE THE PERFECT IDEA!**_ _On second thought, I'd rather not._

"This is a wedding… Huh. Never thought I'd see the day." I mutter. "Never thought I'd even be invited to someone's wedding. Much less my brother's." "I thought weddings were supposed to be happy! You're kinda bringing the mood down, Candace." Becky says. "Oh. Sorry. Just mourning over how I'm probably never going to get married." "I'm trying to be happy. Do you want to leave?" Sam asks, in a Not-Sam tone of voice.

"Oh, yeah, I'd love to miss out on this shotgun wedding where there's not even any cake." I smirk. "Congratulations, you two. Call me when you've had your first fight." Turning and stalking out the chapel, breathing a sigh of relief when I'm over the threshold, then I'm heading to the nearest bar. "Least you can do is fall in love before marriage. But hey, what do I know? Any time I fall in love, my heart gets shattered in some terrible way." _**That's not true…**_ _Isn't it? With Stark, he broke my heart and now he's happy with Pepper._

A few shots later, I decide to call Dean and see what's up. "Hey, how was the reception?" I ask dryly. "Nonexistent. They had no cake. Or alcohol." Dean responds. "What a disappointment." "Yeah."

"Listen, did you think Sam was acting a bit off?" I ask, downing another ineffective shot. The bartender is starting to get worried, but I continue to pour more into my glass anyway. "A bit? No, more like a lot! Romeo in there is ready to jump off the Titanic the second Buttercup asks with only an 'As you wish' in response."

"You watched The Princess Bride?" I ask in shock. "Pirates, Sword Fights and Drunken Spaniards. What's not to love?" I shrug, ignoring the fact that he can't see me. "Fair enough." "No seriously. It's almost like Becky got ahold of Love-In-Idleness."

"You've read Midsummer Night's Dream?" I ask, even more shocked. "Required High School reading." "You went to High School?!" "Will you focus!" "Fine, Fine! We'll get some sleep tonight, then tomorrow we'll go all Sherlock and Watson on them. Find out if Sam's been possessed, if Becky learned magic. Or Maybe, just _maybe_ this is all real and Sam is happy for once?"

"That's impossible. Sam hated her more than we did!" Dean says. I roll my eyes and take another shot. "Yeah, Yeah. Go get your four hours. I'll meet you in the morning, Watson." "Hey! I'm most definitely Sher-" I hang up before he can finish that sentence. A moment later I get a text that reads: I AM SHERLOCK. NOT YOU. I send off a quick text that says 'Goodbye John.' then I put the phone away.

I down another shot. I might as well just buy a couple bottles. "Darling, If you're going to drink such copious amounts of alcohol... You should at least drink the good stuff. Craig?" A familiar, smooth voice says, putting down a bottle next to me.

"I hope you know you're not getting this back." I say, popping off the top and pouring myself a glass. "Figures. But it's worth it for you, Darling." I roll my eyes, taking a sip of the drink. Too bad even this won't get me drunk.

"Why are you here, Crowley?" I ask. "Am I not allowed to visit the Queen of Hell?" "I didn't know my Grandfather got married… Seems like everyone is these days. Oh! And he didn't invite me!" _**Sass Level: Over 9000!**_ _Thank you, Thank you very much. I don't particularly care._

"Your sass is appreciated." "Sarcasm? Really? Because that's _so_ original." Crowley sighs. "Listen, I need your help." He says. "What was that? I couldn't hear you." "Oh, shut up. I'm not saying it again. Something fishy has been going on…"

"Are you talking about in Vegas or Hell? If you're talking about Hell I would wonder when we started accepting animals into Hell. I would also ask how much fried seafood has everyone been eating in that case?" I say.

A vein in Crowley's head twitches in frustration, I just keep talking. "If you talking about Vegas I would just respond with this: Have you _seen_ Vegas? Half the bars are mermaid bars, It's not exactly uncommon to see a walking fish."

"Are you Drunk? Or high?" He asks once I stop to breathe. "Nope, not even close. I'd like to believe if I act like I am, I might actually get there." I say, downing the rest of my glass, pouring another. "You have no idea how damn hard it is for me to get drunk."

"I can imagine. Anyway, I have a Rogue Demon. He's been making deals in this town in Delaware, Not Vegas, then killing them a couple days later. Find him, trap him, I'll come by and make an example of him. Deal? Rogues seem to be your thing."

"Hardy, Har, Har. Yeah, Dean and I are doing some investigating in this town anyway. I'll get it done when I have some free time." I say, drinking another glass of Craig. "Thank you. Now, Why are you so set on getting drunk?"

"A demon, like yourself, wouldn't be able to understand. I'm having a 'I deserve to be loved, I just want to be loved' moment. Sam's wedding shone a light on how alone I feel sometimes." I say, drinking yet another glass.

"Really? I could have sworn I had seen you with a mate way back when… even had a three-headed runt… Ikea? Akea? Akod- Something like that." Crowley says standing up. "Yeah, that never happened." Crowley just shrugs. "I'm probably mistaken. I _was_ in the process of turning into a Demon at the time… ah, good times." The sarcasm in the air… you could smell it.

"Anyway, If you'll excuse me, I have a little Hell to raise. Have fun wallowing in your own sorrows. _Feelings_ , what a peculiar and useless thing. One of the many things I _don't_ miss from humanity. Tootles!"

Ok… Wow. Never thought I'd hear the King of Hell say 'tootles'. _**But you aren't surprised when I say it?**_ _I've already accepted that you're crazy. Nothing you could say or do would surprise me at this point._ _ **Is that a challenge?**_ _No._ _ **Okie Dokie! I accept your challenge.**_ _I literally did not challenge you._ _ **Great now I gotta surprise you.**_

I sigh. Finished a conversation with the King of Hell just to start a pointless one with an Archangel. Sometimes I envy those with a _normal_ life. I just want to know what it's like, just for a little while. Whatever, I kinda sighed away my right to a normal life when I was born Hellspawn. It definitely didn't help when I bound the devil and was forced to join the Avengers.

As I walk back to the hotel, it suddenly strikes me how Christmas-y everything is. Let's see, my birthday was in June, the alien apocalypse was in early September. Then a couple months of hunting with the boys… Amazing how quickly that time flew. I bet the Tower will be finished around March.

As I walk I appreciate some of the decorations. Lights, wreaths and trees everywhere. I find it funny how humans turned the rebirth of Christ into a day where a fat guy comes down your chimney and eats your food. _**They didn't even have the date right to begin with- it happened in Spring, the only reason it's celebrated in winter is to mesh closer with the Winter Solstice**_. _Fair enough… Winter is a nice season anyway. Perfect for all these mortals' holidays._ _ **Of course. Besides, I got two words for you- candy canes.**_ _Would you like to come and get candy canes?_ _ **Maybe later. We are hunting down the tablet right now.**_

"You're right about one thing… Humans are funny." I don't even have to look to know the second pair of footsteps that just showed up belong to my grandfather. "How long have you been spying on me?" I ask, extremely nonchalant.

"The whole time." He replies, just as carefree. Nice to know they trust me enough to let me get a drink without dying. "Would you?" "Probably not." I admit. The trip to the motel takes only a couple minutes. When I get there I find Dean already passed out on one of the beds. So, he took advantage of the fact humans can get drunk easily?

I roll my eyes at the man, getting into my own bed. Lucifer takes to lounging on the couch with a laptop, headphones on. We're going to regret giving him access to Netflix, aren't we? Whatever.


	43. Chapter 42

I wake up a little after Dean. Lucifer is still watching Netflix, a quick glance at the screen lets me know he is watching this new show called Lucifer. Figures that is what he would go to. "Sleeping beauty awakes." Dean says, throwing a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit at me, neatly wrapped up in gold foil.

"That's from your pet angel. You can eat it in the car, we got to keep an eye on Sam." Dean says, already having all of his stuff packed. I shake my head to wake up, "Sure, uh, okay. One question, Where the fuck are we going?" "Watch your language." Lucifer says jokingly, not moving his eyes from the screen. "Casse Toi." "Ok… fine. You do realise, since your parents aren't here, I can ground you."

I roll my eyes at the ridiculous statement, I'm 6,666,666 years old! I can't be grounded! I'm an adult! "Yet technically you're still in the first years of your life." "Well then so are you!" Luci just shrugs.

"Okay, enough with your weird ass family, I need your help to deal with my new sister-in-law." Dean says, trying to get our attention. "What?" "Mrs. Winchester is dragging the Mr. off to Delaware."

"Delaware? Isn't that where Crowley said there is a rogue demon killing people after a couple days instead of ten years?" Lucifer asks. _You know, THIS is when you would utilize telepathy._ "Becky made a devil deal to make Sammy fall in love with her?"

I send a quick glare to Lucifer, "No. If she had I would be able to tell, If I had to guess, this is the demon's sale technique. The 'trial period'" I say. Somehow, Dean looks _relieved_. "So he's not crazy… just under a spell." "Don't know if you'd feel better or worse about that…" "Better, a million times better."

Okay… It says something about Becky when Dean is _relieved_ Sam isn't actually in love with her… She'll find someone eventually, I'm sure. Perhaps I'll set her up with someone… _**Ralph and Mike haven't dated anyone in awhile.**_ _No, they would be a good match._ _ **How can you tell?!**_ _Never underestimate a woman's intuition when it comes to matchmaking._ _ **Unless it has to do with themselves.**_ _I won't deny it._

"So. Looks like you can get your stuff for Crowley done while we figure out what's going on with Sam." I nod. It doesn't take long before we are in the car. Since the Leviathan know what baby looks like and Roman is tracking us, we had to ditch the Impala. Dean hates the stupid replacement. Lucifer is in the back, still watching Netflix. Not sure how he's doing that without wifi.

After a couple hours I get annoyed at the music, sure, it's good music, but if I hear the same five songs in a row for hours on end I will eventually go insane.

"Okay! That's it! We have to listen to something else, you're driving me crazy!" I start. "What? Is ACDC not good enough for you?" Dean asks, annoyed. "You've played the same songs for five hours on end, I'm going to go insane."

Before he can stop me, I change it to the radio. Almost instantly, 'No Rest for the Wicked' comes on. "Much better." "You're lucky I actually like this song." He grumbles, not happy I messed with his stereo. "What would you do, if you didn't? Wait don't respond to that."

The rest of the car ride consist of me humming along to the radio and Dean cursing every time the next song to come on is actually good. I have Luci to thank for that. As he watches his Netflix, he manipulated the radio. 107.5 Lu-Ci-Fer! I'm surprised that Dean didn't notice the name of the station every time the songs changed.

Half way through the trip Luci starts to complain that he finished 'Lucifer'. I end up telling him to watch Daredevil. "You do know all that is real? There's a dude in Hell's Kitchen named Matt Murdock who's blind and a lawyer and he works with a guy named Nelson and a girl named Karen Page?" "Yeah, yeah, just shut up and watch the show. Lots of gore, lots of action. Lots of cussing, too. You'll like it."

Luci sighs and shits in his seat, disbelief shown across his features. But he presses play regardless. Dean, as expected, gets fed up with the radio station and wants to listen to his own songs. In our fight for control of the radio station, it lands on a completely random ones.

"-Taylor Swift recently broke up with To-" "-Donald Trump-" "-The Death of Tony Stark-"

"Wait!" I scream, taking control of the radio, flipping it back to that station. "After the injury of Happy Hogan, Stark Industries' chief of security, Mr. Tony Stark threatened the terrorist known as the Mandarin. Earlier today, several Helicopter appeared above Tony Stark's mansion and started firing wildly into the residence. No official statement has been released as of this moment and no bod-" Lucifer flips off the radio.

Is Tony...Dead? _**You would be able to tell if he was.**_ _If he went to hell._ _ **Where else would he go?**_ _Right, because Heaven's angels are such douchebags they don't let Superhero philanthropist in._ "You said it, not me." Luci says from the backseat, putting in his two cents.

I roll my eyes and pull out my phone. "J. What suit is Tony currently using?" I ask. "Mark-42" Really? 42? He needs a hobby, er, a different hobby. "Patch me through." The phone makes that typical staticy sound before I can hear Tony talking to someone… it sounds like a kid.

"Yo! Idiotic Tin Man!" I call into the phone. "Candace?!" Tony replies. "No, it's Mrs. Clause. Yes, it's Candace. I was just wondering, HOW MUCH MORE STUPID CAN YOU POSSIBLY FUCKING GET?!"

"Candace! There is a child in the room!" Tony yells back. "DOES IT SOUND LIKE I GIVE TWO FUCKS ABOUT A PREPUBESCENT HEARING A COUPLE VULGAR TERMS?! I CARE ABOUT THE MORONIC MICROPHALLUS WHO THREATENED A TERRORIST!"

Dean starts cracking up at the steering wheel. Didn't he look up to Tony? I bet it's kinda weird hearing a Hellhound yell at his 'hero'. "Can we have this conversation later? I'm in the middle of repairing Mark-42 and I can't do that with you having control of J.A.R.V.I.S." Tony asks.

Dean drives the car over the city lines and I can start to feel the Demon in the area. Wow, he's been busy. Fifteen deals in this one town alone. "This conversation isn't over! But for now, yes. Now, if you'll excuse me. I have a demon to capture and a love spell to reverse!"

"Your life is so cool." I can hear Tony mutter before I hang up the phone. "Bullshit." I mutter into the now-silent line. "My life is not cool, especially when I'm on the run from unkillable creatures who want to eat me over and over again."

"Damn… I think you've got it worst out of me, Sammy, and you. There's almost no competition. Last time something tried to make a meal out of us, it was a wendigo in Colorado." Dean says, still laughing. "Well, there might've been something more recent, but that's the first one I remember."

"I should have seen that coming." I mutter, looking out the window. "With all the alcohol you boys consume, it's no wonder you've forgotten." "The only reason you don't forget is that you're a hellhound and can't even get blackout drunk most of the time." "True. Hey, isn't that Becky?"

Not far from the town limits, in a random parking lot, is Becky, hugging a random guy. Wait, no, he's not _that_ random- that's our rogue demon! "Dean, stop the car. Stop the car." Before the car even comes to a complete stop at the edges of the parking lot, I've jumped out and began running toward the two people.

I absentmindedly notice that this is the site of some high school reunion. Sam is standing awkwardly a little ways away from them. Without a second thought, I burn a devil's trap into the ground around the demon.

"What the hell?!" Becky shouts, jumping backwards, out of the flames I created. Luci and Dean jog up to me. The Demon's eyes widen. I have yet to learn his name. "What is this? Where did the fire come from?! What is this symbol?" He plays the confused civilian very well. Too bad, I can smell the demon-ness from a mile away. Literally. _**Hey, isn't that Leslie Odom Jr.? I think I know the guy…**_ _In another universe maybe, he doesn't know you though._

"Candace! What are you doing to him?" Becky asks. I send a quick glance to her, "Do you know the person in front of you is a demon?" I ask, blatantly. Confusion crosses over her face. Genuine confusion. "Demon? No! He's a wiccan! Now let him go!"

Really? That's all it takes with her? She is terrible at keeping secrets. "I can smell him from a mile away. If he really is a wiccan, he will be able to walk right out of the sigil." I say it, almost like a dare, but the 'wiccan' doesn't move an inch.

"Fine." He says, putting his hands up. "You caught me. I've been making a couple deals in this town." "Fifteen?" I ask, wondering how that is a couple. "I thought the Queen of Hell would be more supportive."

I glare at him for the title. "Although, I really must ask, Why did Crowley make a mutt the Queen of Hell? Lilith's old attack dog to be precise. I was expecting the _great_ Candace Armina to be… more."

I take a couple deep breaths to keep myself from killing him right here, right now. Becky is still getting over the shock her friend is a demon. Sam is having a better time with it. I wonder how he is going to react to the whole thing when the spell is broken… that's going to be fun.

"Why don't you ask Crowley yourself? He's been dying to talk with you." I say. Pulling out my phone and facetiming the King of Hell isn't something I thought I'd be doing. Well, look at me!

"Nice to know you didn't forget my number, Darling." A smooth voice drawls from behind me. Sam and Dean shift on their feet, standing in a way that would allow them to defend easily against the king of Hell.

I turn around, making the devil's trap around the demon burn smaller. "666? It's not exactly original." I sass. "And it was _so_ disappointing when I went to get a phone that my number was taken." Luci adds.

Crowley rolls his eyes and walks up to the Demon I'm keeping in a fiery devil's trap. "Now, lass, Tell me. What is the _one_ rule in Hell?" He asks. "Sir, I was j-" "Make a deal, Keep it." Crowley interrupts.

I step back from the circle, letting Crowley do his thing with his men. "Really now? You went from Lilith's attack dog to Crowley's bitch? Nice to see our _Queen_ is moving up in the world!" The demon sasses.

If that makes me angry, it makes Crowley _livid_. The demon starts choking, spluttering, gasping for air. Blood starts to well up in his eyes. " _Never,_ Insult the Queen." Crowley hisses. With a snap of his fingers the demon is gone, most likely waiting for Crowley somewhere in Hell.

Crowley then turns to me. "Pleasure working with you again, Love. Don't worry about him, he'll be dealt with." He promises. A light growling can be heard in my head coming from Gabriel. What's that about?

"I did my part. Now, can you dissolve all the contracts he made in this town? Starting with whatever Mojo was cast on Sam?" I ask. Crowley snaps his fingers, instantly Sam starts groaning, holding his head.

"The headache should pass in a couple minutes. Now, I know you lot are hunting the Leviathan. I want them gone. I'll keep my demons away from the boys, you get rid of the bastards. Deal?" Crowley asks. I hold out my hand, shaking his.

"Why do you want them gone anyway?" I ask. "You met that Dick yet? Smuggest tub of goo since Mussolini." Crowley asks. "Ah… yes. Roman isn't the most desirable person. He has his men hunting me down for sport." I say. "Apparently I'm the 'infinite appetizer'." "Ooh, that sounds unpleasant."

"Understatement." I mutter. "Anyway, thanks for wrapping that bastard up for me. Feel free to call me if you need anything, Love." Crowley says. _**Back off!**_ _What's your problem?_ I nod. "Now get out of here! You have Hell to run, I have a moose to get back on his feet and a fangirl marriage to annul." I shoo off.

"How do you have the craziest life of everyone on the planet?" "I blame my parents. Now, Shoo!" Crowley nods before disappearing. I turn to the happy couple, ignoring Luci and Dean for now.

"Okay!" I clap my hand. "Becky, Sam. Due to recent events, I think and annulment is in order? Hmm?" I ask. Becky gulps at my gaze. I feel like I called something like this happening way back when… _**You did.**_ _Oh, Good to know I can add Psychic to my list of skills._ _ **Nah, you're just good at judging people.**_

Sam eventually stops holding his head and stands up straight. "Was I- Was I drugged?" He asks. "Yup! Miss Rosen-Winchester here got ahold of some Love-In-Idleness." I answer. _Luci, could you pop up an Annulment document? Or whatever they are officially called?_ **~Is it just my job to get you stuff?~** _I thought that was what Grandparents did!_

Luci grumbles before a Annulment document appears in front of me, hovering midair. _Thank you_. I hand the paper to Sam, who signs almost instantly. Becky, however, is a bit more reluctant. "I- I can't sign this! Come on, you're being selfish- wanting Sam back in the family, you never stop to think of me? Candace, listen, what would you do if you actually married Tony, but the next day he told you 'It was a mistake, now get out.'? Don't make me do this!"

Her argument is valid, I'll admit, but I don't think Sam was happy living with a crazed fangirl. "Did you think how Sam feels? No offense, but you're a bit over-the-top. Be reasonable and put your special other first!"

Becky's eyes harden as she snatches the paper. "How could that _not_ be offensive?" She asks, signing the form and shoving back to me. "There. Happy? You just destroyed my life. I hope you rot in Hell." She says then walks off.

I just stare after her… how am _I_ the bad guy? "She may have forgotten I already spent some time in hell, it didn't agree with me." _**Gee, ya think?**_ _Sarcasm, how original!_ _ **Hardy, har, har.**_ I can't help but feel slightly sorry for Becky though… she just wants someone to understand her… I need to find her a guy.

 _ **Where are you going to find someone that obsessed with… everything?**_ _I have no fucking clue._ _ **I'm sure there's someone.**_ _Mhm… I'm sure you're not just saying that to be the optimistic one out of the two of us._ _Hey! That's my job!_ _**UGGH! Can I**_ **please** _**get rid of her?**_ _No._ _Please don't._

I clap my hands together, "Well, all drama aside! Sam? You ready to get back on the road?" I ask, walking towards the car. I climb into the back, confident that the Winchesters will be soon to follow. I hardly wait a second before Luci is by my side again.

Now that I think about it, There has never been a time in the past while that I am not within a ten feet radius of either Mike or Luci. Do they not have anywhere else to be? Like searching for the leviathan tablet?

 _ **How many times would you have died by now if they weren't there?**_ _You really underestimate me. I don't like dying._ _ **Well, forgive me for not taking any chances. With your luck you'd be dead in an hour.**_ _Whatever. You're a terrible liar by the way, but I won't push… for now._

Sam gets into the car last, still holding his head slightly. "Do I want to know what happened?" He asks, sitting his head on the dash. "Well, uh, long story short. Becky used some demon potion to make you fall in love with her, Candace got Crowley to make it disappear." Dean explains.

"If it makes you feel any better." Luci starts. I don't think whatever he has to say it going to make Sam feel any better. "You never consummated your marriage." The car freezes. "Do I want to know how you know that?" Dean asks.

"Oh, I can answer that one. Becky's a virgin." I say easily. "That is something any non mortal is just able to tell about mortals. We can't tell with other non mortals though." The boys just sit in silence, not knowing how to respond.

After a few minutes of silence, Luci breaks it. "So… where are we off to now?" He asks, getting comfortable in the back seat by snapping up some pillows. Lazy. "Damn straight!" "Dean's in the car, that doesn't work." "Ok, so 'Damn Gay!'" "More like 'Damn Bi', but whatever."

"Ahem." Dean says. "Yes?" "To answer your question, Christmas is only tomorrow, I figured we would go to Bobby's and actually relax for once." I just shrug, whatever.

It takes us a good couple hours to get to Bobby's house. It had burned down thanks to a Leviathan, luckily Gabe and the God Squad fixed it. _**You're welcome!**_ As we pull into the driveway, there is something that I notice.

Snow, and a ton of it. There is no snow outside of the Singer property, yet inside there is nothing but. The snow is piled three feet high leaving only a big enough gap for the car to slip and slide down the layer of ice.

The Winchester's mouths hang open as we drive down the driveway. All of the broken and beat up cars are now shiny and brand new, each one covered with fairy lights and decorated differently. Some of them are nothing but fairy lights, others have designs traced out of the snow on them. A dog, a cat, a mouse, Rudolph and an Angel… of course. A moose and a squirrel for good measure.

When we reach the house, even my jaw drops. It is _covered_ in Christmas lights that are blinking randomly. The radio in the car starts to static before settling on a Christmas station playing 'Jingle Bell Rock'. Instantly we notice that the flashing lights of the house are matching up perfectly with the song.

"What the hell?" Dean whispers and he turns of the engine and gets out of the car. Luci and I get out with him. There seems to be some sort of speaker and radio set up outside because I can still hear the music crystal clear.

Over the sound of the jingle bells, I hear a _very_ strange sound. It sounds almost like a… Moose? I turn in the direction of the sound and sure enough, Nine moose, each one harnessed and attached to a sleigh. The one in front has a shiny red nose.

"Hey look, Sam! It's your family!" Luci announces. "Shut up." "He said shut up to me!" "Is that so much of an accomplishment? I say that all the time!" I mutter. "You don't ignore me as if I don't exist!"

I shake my head and walk towards the house. Completely ignoring the moose. _Gabriel… did you do all this?_ _ **See the rest of it before you start proclaiming my pure awesomeness.**_ I decide to do just that.

I walk inside the house, smiling at the soft little bells that accompany the swinging of the door. I walk into the kitchen, the smell of cinnamon and pine trees filling the air. The place has been cleaned from top to bottom. The table is set with a nice red and green table cloth and gold plates.

My eye flick into the living room. The fire is blazing and adorned with several stockings. Each one has a different name on it. 'Moose', 'Squirrel', 'Snake', 'Mike and Ike', 'Bearded Uncle', 'Crazy Aunt', 'Blondie', 'Mr. Awesome', and 'Hell Puppy'. Jeez, I wonder who chose the names.

The desk has been pushed over to the side to make room for a large Christmas tree in front of the window. I can't get a good look at the ornaments, but most of them seem to be ones of either us or the Avengers.

Around the room are several people, Bobby, in a fabulous Santa outfit, Ellen in a Mrs. Claus outfit, Jo in an elf costume, Raphael also in an Elf costume and the trickster himself in another elf costume.

"What the-" "So you like it?" Gabe cuts me off. I take another quick look around the room. _Are you kidding me? This is awesome!_ A smile breaks across Gabe's face. "Good." "Just one question… why is Raphael here?" I ask as the Winchesters and Luci get inside.

"Christmas equals family, as much as I hate it, Raphael is family. I invited him." Gabe says. "Fair enough. It works out, I was going to ask for an update on heaven soon anyway." I say, giving a pointed look to Raphael. He sighs.

"Everything has been restored to as it should be. Castiel and I have worked diligently to make heaven run the same way as it did before Father left. There were a few that opposed us, but they have been dealt with." He reports with absolutely no emotion.

"Who needed to be dealt with and how so?" I ask. Angels, as far as I know, are made up of pure energy. When you kill them the energy is scattered, but will eventually reform. So he can't have killed them. _Am I correct?_ _ **You are.**_

"Naomi opposed us, she is currently locked in Heaven's prisons alongside Gadreel." Raphael informs. "Ah… Gadreel. I liked him. He was so naive way back when." Luci says. "Didn't even notice me enter the garden." Oh… well that's probably an interesting tale. I'll ask later.

"Speaking of Cas, where is he?" Dean asks. Missing his husband? _**Probably.**_ "I'm up here!" A tiny little voice says. It's all squeaky and adorable. _What did you do?_ _ **Look at the top of the tree.**_ I hesitantly move my eyes to the top of the tree.

Right on top is a tiny, four inch tall Castiel with tiny fake wings and a halo. His trench coat has been replaced with a white dress that you would see on an Angel topper. Why doesn't he just get down? That is when I notice that his hands are each taped to the fake wings.

"Gabriel, let him down. He's not a decoration!" I bark. "Cas! What happened to you?!" Dean asks, reaching up and pulling the tiny Cas off the tree. Yeah, doesn't care for Cas at _all_! _Gabe, make him normal sized_. _**You take all the fun out of everything!**_

One second Dean is holding a tiny Castiel, the next normal sized Cas is on the other side of the room, he's still in the dress though. _Is the dress necessary?_ "Of course it is!" Gabriel exclaims, as if I had insulted him. "Tomorrow is Christmas! You have to do Christmassy things and wear Christmassy clothes! Speaking of which…"

Gabriel snaps his fingers and I'm suddenly wearing something completely different. As is Luci, Sam and Dean. Dean is in a Christmas Squirrel girl costume and Luci has become an 'elf on the shelf'. Sam is, of course, a moose. I very hesitantly examine my own attire.

"Frozen? Really? How does that fit at all?!" I ask. I'm in a sparkly blue dress and my super-curly hair is braided as best as it can be. "Ever heard of cold coals?" Gabe smirks.

"No…" "Focus on cold fire." Almost immediately, a shelf catches on fire- an ice-blue flame, though. Well that's cool. _**I see what you did there.**_ I roll my eyes and take one more look around the room.

"So I take it we are having a Christmas eve party?" I ask, rhetorically. Almost instantly, I get my answer. All the ceiling lights turn off, the Christmas lights go disco and I nearly lose my ears to Let it snow.

"There was no need to respond, that was rhetorical!"

You've learned how most parties involving Gabriel and I tend to go right? _**Look at you! Demolishing the fourth wall! I'm so proud of you!**_ _Shut up_. Well, like always. We dance, we drink, we play games, we drink, charades, alcohol, poker, beer, strip poker, tequila, some wine and we pass out. According to Daisie, we played Seven Minutes in Heaven, but none of us remember it.

 _I swear it! You and Gabe even did the thing!_ _WHAT?_ _Nah, I'm just messing with ya._ _Oh thank goodness._ _ **Mean!**_ _Dean and Cas did though._ … _Does Dean even remember that?_ _ **Dean does, Cas doesn't. Dean doesn't plan on saying anything though.**_ _Well, that's stupid._ _Hey guys? Can we officially wake up on Christmas morning or are we just gonna stay in this timeless fourth wall break forever?_ _**The bodiless consciousness is right, we are approaching Deadpool territory.**_ _We should probably wake up._


	44. Chapter 43

I wake up the next morning, my hangover already gone. I guess Gabe decided it would be best to fix that first thing this time. _**Yup!**_ I'm thankful for that. Slowly standing up from where I crashed last night- the couch- I notice that I'm not in the Elsa dress anymore. Flannel pajamas. Much more comfortable.

A well-lit Christmas tree stands near the windows, and there are lots of presents underneath it- some really big, some smaller ones, and some that look like gun cases. Hopefully not for me. I do not need any more guns. Who needs a gun when you have Fire and an archangel?

"Nice to know the you only keep me around as a weapon." Gabriel comments, leaning up against the entrance to the dining room from the living room. The smell of cinnamon reaches my nose. I don't even have to look to know that Gabriel has prepared Christmas breakfast.

I walk towards him, a soft smile on my face. "That's not true!" I say. He smiles ever so slightly. "I also value your food!" I announce. He slumps down on his shoulders. I quickly give him a soft peck on the cheek. "And your company."

I then walk away, determined to get the first slice of French Toast. Oh, guess what, it's not French toast. It's cinnamon buns. I don't care, they're both delicious. _**So glad you think so!**_ _Honestly, everything you make is delicious._ _ **Would that extend to my se-**_ _GABRIEL!_ _ **I was going to say seafood. Geez, Where's your mind this morning?**_

I shake my head. How can one person be so idiotic? "You know you love meeeeeee!" Gabe sings. "Love to stab you a couple times, that's for sure." I mutter just loud enough for him to hear.

One by one, everyone wakes up and gets breakfast.

"So, we have presents to open and gingerbread houses to decorate. Which would you rather do first?" Gabe announces. "Why do I get the feeling that decorating gingerbread houses is only going to end up as a competition?" Jo asks. "And that the Angels are gonna win?" Dean adds.

"That's not gonna happen, because any angelic gingerbread creations are disqualified from the competition." I say. "Aw, what?" "I had a really good idea!"

"You can still make them, but they will not be counted in the competition." I amend. Do they have to do _everything_ with grace? Gabriel suddenly seems ten times more motivated.

"Fine! You want normal? You're getting normal! This is going to be the most magnificent normally made ginger bread house to ever grace the human plain!"

*Five Minutes Later*

"Whatever! I give up!" Gabriel shouts, slamming the tube of icing on the table. He hasn't even gotten two of the walls to stick together yet.

"Having some trouble over there?" Lucifer taunts. He is working on the roof portion. A bit sloppy, sure, but it's working.

"Fuck it, I'm using my grace." Gabriel announces. Mike doesn't waste two seconds in joining in. Ralph not far behind. The rest of us have to stifle our laughs at the angel's antics.

After a few minutes, we all finish our houses. Bobby and Ellen had worked together to end up with a small little house. Their gingerbread man, however, is missing it's legs.

"We...uh…. Messed up a bit."

Dean's house has painted beer bottles, stupid wall paper and a sign out front that says 'motel'. Well, I guess that's technically where they sleep the most often. Sam's looks exactly like the box. Coloring of the gum drops and all.

The archangels, unsurprisingly, have the most outrageous ones. Ralph has the empire state building. Gabriel has a masculine version of Lady Liberty. Mike decided to create Tony Stark's mansion. I wonder if he's announced to the world he's not dead yet. Lucifer has a perfect Hellhound. It even has my particular markings.

Castiel and Jo, have the best one though. He didn't use his grace, but made a perfect replica of Bobby Singer's house. Amazing!

"Castiel and Jo are the winners!" I announce, promptly smashing my own before they can examine it.

"Can I eat them now?" Dean asks.

"You have been! That's why half of yours is missing!" Jo calls out.

"Snitch." He mutters.

We all laugh at the display. I'm cut off by 'Staying Alive' sounding from my pocket. I pull it out, the words on the screen reading 'Blocked'.

"Hey, you guys start opening presents. S.H.I.E.L.D. is calling me." I say. I step out the front door. I place the STARK phone to my ear.

"Coulson, if you are trying to give me a mission on freaking Christmas day, we will have a pro-"

"Hello, Candace." Natasha interrupts.

"I would ask how you got this number, but that seems redundant. So, I'm going to ask. A: What did you find on Roman and B: Has Tony's situation been resolved yet?"

"Well then, nice to talk to you too. B: It's been resolved. Tony is currently at the just finished Stark Tower. A: Yes, but we have a problem."

"Elaborate."

"Roman has multiple warehouses here and there. After some investigation we found that he is making a drug. What the drug does, I have no clue. Just that it was made by a Leviathan and is being mass distributed to the entire world within our corn syrup." Natasha explains.

"Okay. Switch everyone over to a corn syrup free diet, we'll destroy the factories. Piece of advice for telling Tony: Don't. Tell Pepper. She'll alter the diet and he won't even notice." I order. It's not like Tony ever leaves the lab to eat anyway.

"Oh, and something else you should know. We've been trying to hack into Roman's servers for some time now. Within the past few days, someone has started hacking us back."

"We'll deal with the corn syrup, then the hacker. Trace the hack, I'll bring them in for questioning. Or if they're leviathan, kill em. Or as close as I can get to it."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll have JARVIS keep you updated."

She hangs up without another word. How SHIELD of her. Within a couple seconds, my phone beeps. I now have the locations of all of the Roman funded factories. Good. I march into the house.

"Hey, hey, hey! Listen up! Christmas is canceled!" Have I ever said that Gabriel acts like a little kid sometimes? He and Castiel look the most distraught by that development out of the lot.

"What? I didn't know you could cancel a date on the calendar." Ralph retorts.

"Yeah, well. Roman has been poisoning the world's supply of corn syrup. I figured that was something we would want to stop?" I challenge.

No one argues with me.

"Good! Now, Natasha sent me a list off all the different factories. We're going to need about 30 bombs and some speed. We have five angels, five humans and a hell hound. If each hunter drops a bomb at one location, that's 25 for the ones of us that can teleport. Four per each and whomever gets done first gets the last one?" I propose.

Again, no one argues with me. I get a couple nods here and there, but no one says anything.

"Gabe, can you make 30 bombs while I map out who is going where?"

I pull out a giant map of the world. There are 5 in the U.S. 15 in Asia. 4 in Europe, 3 in South America. 3 in Canada. 2 in Australia, 1 in Japan and 1 in Greenland. Why Greenland? Of all places, they choose one of the coldest!

"Okay, so all the humans are going to hit the ones in America. We'll drop you off. Ralph, Luci and Castiel, you get four each in Asia. Mike, you get the other three and the one in Japan. Mike, you get Europe. Gabe, Canada and the western one in Australia. I got South America and the other one in Australia. Whomever finishes first is stuck with greenland." I order.

Instantly, everyone stuffs the required number of bombs into their bags. I grab Jo and teleport her to her factory.

"In, out. Text me when I need to pick you up." I order, teleporting away.

I shadow travel to my first factory. I allow invisibility to wash over me and I sneak through the front doors. I dash through hallways, trying to make my way to the deepest part of the factory before I set off the bomb.

Several times, one of the Leviathan smell me. I guess I am quite recognizable. I _am_ their number one target after all. This wasn't the best of ideas was it. _**Nope! But when do you ever had exceptionally bright ideas?**_ _Shut up and do your own job._

I lay down the bomb, activate it, and shadow travel to my next location. I get through the second factory swiftly, but I start to notice a persistent burning on my back, along with an almost unignorable desire to go back to the Singer residence and not leave Gabe's side. What is going on here?

I shake it off and head to my third location. It seems to get worse every second. Soon the burning becomes insufferable. After I set the bomb in the third location, I sneak into the bathroom of a nearby gas station. Yanking up my shirt, I see exactly what the problem is. A bright red hand print. _**Shit**_. _Gabriel what are you not telling me?_

I receive no answer from the angel. I am bonded to the idiotic pile of concentrated sass, candy and feathers. _We are going to talk once I get back._ Still no response.

The burning pain is significantly easier to ignore now that I know what is causing it. I place the bomb in the last location, just as I receive a text from Jo.

'Done. Come pick me up.' -J

I shadow travel to where she is, before bringing us both back to the Singer residence. Only Mike and Luci are back. I imagine they turned their assignment into a race. So, I can trust that Greenland has been taken care of.

I was just about to relax on the couch when. _**Bobby was shot, unable to heal, taking him to hospital.**_ _Location, NOW._ _ **Arizona, State Hospital. Room C21**_

I don't waste another second before shadow traveling away again. Once I enter the room, I immediately rush to Bobby. If the archangel couldn't figure out what is wrong, and heal him, then something needs to be done quickly.

"The Leviathan coated a bullet with something, I can't figure out what it is." Gabriel says, tossing me the bullet.

I examine the bullet, only having to look at if for two seconds. Shit. Leviathan Blood. While it may allow Leviathans to heal extraordinary injuries, it's extremely toxic to any other creature. With no cure, of course.

"I'm going to kill Roman." I growl.

"Gotta figure out how first." Lucifer reminds me, apparating behind me with the others.

I ignore the annoying devil. I dig through my pockets. Where are they?! I never go anywhere without them! After what feels like an hour of fruitless searching, I find them. The poker chips I 'won' from Patrick.

" _Retro annis donant_." I say.

Like it had before, a single chip dissolves into ashes and flies towards Bobby. Instantly, he looks a million times better and a year younger.

"I should hang out with you more often." Bobby grumbles, "I'll never grow old."

"Nah, I only got two more years left to spend. You'll get there eventually. But you're not allowed to die until then, okay?" I ask, with a small smile.

"Heaven forbid anyone dying without the permission of the hound!" Dean taunts.

"Exactly."

"Hypocrite." Sam mutters.

I glare lightly at the boys, but it is soon broken by a grin. You gotta love em. I pat Bobby on the shoulder before standing up and grabbing Gabriel's ear.

"I trust you can all get back to Sioux Falls yourselves. Wings and I have something to discuss." I say, not even looking at them as I drag the archangel out the door.

I shadow travel directly to the middle of the Siberian wastelands. Don't need anyone overhearing me.

"Gabriel." I growl, making sure that he is facing me.

"Am I in trouble?" He asks meekly.

I take a deep breath. I'm actually quite pissed. Not about the whole situation, I'm actually quite pleased with this development. I'm just livid about the fact that he never thought it was worth mentioning.

"Have a guess."

"No?"

He thinks he's clever doesn't he? The small smirk on his face confirms my mental statement.

"Have another guess." I smirk. "How long have you been hiding the fact that we're bonded?"

"Since your birthday. I-"

"If you so much as THINK of saying 'I was trying to protect you' I will burn off your wings and throw you off Stark tower. Tell me the real reason." I cut off, accidentally letting my voice raise to a yell.

Gabe sighs. "Fine. I was too shy to admit it."

What? The mighty Archangel, Gabriel, too shy to admit something? That isn't possible. He could do the chicken dance, in his underwear, singing the macarena on top of the white house and not care whatsoever. Why the fuck would he be shy about this? It's not like he doesn't already flirt endlessly with me.

"You're serious?"

"Yep."

"I'm guessing we bonded in the heat of the moment." I smile.

"Yeah. Just saying, you would've found out sooner if you'd've read the books."

"Wait, they're still being published? Oh, hell…"

Great. That also means that A: all of camp half-blood will know soon, and B: the Avengers will too. I know Steve still keeps up with the books so he doesn't have to figure out new age technological phones.

"I'm either going to be attacked by fans for finally making their OTP happen, or attacked by fans for not making their OTP happen… lovely."

"Hey, nobody's getting attacked around here. Besides, everyone hates Iron Hound anyway."

"Why haven't I noticed after all this time?" I ask.

"As long as one of the archangels are within 50 feet of you, we can negate the mark." He explains.

"Stop. I know you're doing so right now. Stop."

Instantly, I can feel the difference. Memories meld together, I can't tell which ones are his and which ones are mine. Considering some of them involve heaven, I'm going to guess those are his. There really is a heaven for geese.

The desire to spend every waking hour by his side is amplified by a gazillion. Even though I know there is no point, I want to hide him away in some corner of the multiverse to prevent him from getting so much as a paper cut.

Despite all this, and so much more, the most noticeable change, are his wings. I can see them. Six, beautiful wings, all of them spread out to their full wingspan. They are giant, stretching twenty feet in any direction.

They possess a golden quality, of every shade. It's like seeing the sun's rays. Glittering, shimmering and beautiful. The tips of his feathers are a light peach-orange, while the innermost section of his wings are dark gold.

I cannot stop myself from stepping forwards and running my fingers through the feathers. Though I have done it many times, it is so much different now. I can actually see the soft cotton like feathers. We just stand in silence for a while, ignoring the howling wind and piercing snow.

"Ah…" I shake myself out of the trance. "We- we should probably head back."

"Oh.. uh...yeah, it's starting to get a bit cold out."

Only immortal beings with a tolerance to pain would call -20 degrees C 'a bit cold'.


	45. Chapter 44

Once we got back to the Singer residence, we noticed that most of the presents under the tree have been passed out and everyone else has gone to sleep. Even the Archangels have decided to indulge in unconsciousness.

Before I could try to make it to my room, (Ellen finally helped me clean out one for myself) Gabe drags me to the couch. He pulls out the two remaining gifts from under the tree. Both of them for me. I feel kinda bad that I didn't get him anything.

"You didn't kill me for keeping this whole thing secret. That's plenty for this year. But I'm expecting something next year." He says, shoving one in front of me.

I roll my eyes and peel off the flame decorated paper. It doesn't take me long before I see the present. It's a photo album… I cautiously open to the first page. I nearly drop the album instantly.

It's me! But not just me, there's Mother, Father, Lupa, Geri, Freki and even Luca. It's all of us as pups! It's easy to distinguish all of us from each other. Father is pure black, Mother has white accents on her paws and tail. Lupa has purple, Geri has green, Freki has light blue, I red and Luca has orange.

I turn page after page. Us hunting as a family. Geri and Freki getting into a fight. Us all teaming up to prank Mom and Dad. The first time Lupa saved a human. I think his name was Jason. Us all playing like the pups we were.

On one page, there are no longer any pictures containing Mom and Dad. Then Lupa disappears. Then Geri and Freki. Then it's just Luca and I.

"How-" I clear my throat, as it is betraying me.

"How did you get all these?" I whisper.

"I created a physical copy of the memories your brother was willing to share."

I hug the album to my chest. _Thank you_.

"Yeah, yeah. Now open your second one!"

I open the second one, a much smaller box. I pull out a silver necklace, attached to which is an elegant pendant. A ruby encased by an angel's wing. The ruby looks almost like a flame. My hand finds its way to my neck. I'm already wearing two necklaces.

Without a second thought, I rip off the one that Tony gave me. After I put Tony's in the box, I hand the new necklace to Gabriel. I turn around and shift my hair to give him better access to my neck.

"Would you mind?"

Through the newly opened bond, I can feel his triumphant joy. _**I beat the stupid mechanic!**_ Is that what it's like for them? Always hearing the thoughts others don't want to share?

He clasps the necklace. I smooth it out, making sure the clasp is in the back and the pendant where it is supposed to be.

He hugs me from behind, planting a kiss on my cheek.

"My Hell Puppy." He claims.

"And my Golden Angel." I agree.

I stand up, starting to make my way to the stairs.

"Well, I'm going to bed now."

He doesn't say a word. Just wiggles his eyebrows.

"Seriously? The first night? Do you have no restraint whatsoever?"

Gabriel shrugs, not looking the tiniest bit guilty or ashamed. I sigh and roll my eyes.

"Come on, before I change my mind."

 **Dean's POV**

I roll over for what seems like the millionth time, trying to block out the sounds. Sure, I'm glad Gabriel finally man upped and told her, (or she figured it out based on how she grabbed his ear earlier), but I'm trying to get my four hours!

"They are quite loud, aren't they?" Cas comments.

I roll over and just look at him.

"Ya think? You were drunk, yet still thought to soundproof the room!" I groan.

"Well yes, you are not quite as open with our relationship as you are with your former female companions. They, however, don't care. So my brother is actually amplifying the sound. Most likely because he knows it will bother you."

I roll over again. Suddenly, the sound stops, accompanied with a pop.

"Better?"

"Extremely, thanks Cas."

"You're welcome, Dean. Goodnight."

I am woken up at a more reasonable hour, this time, by the smell of blueberries. I roll over and out of bed.

"Good Morning, Dean." Cas greets, still sitting at the foot of the bed.

Seriously, do angels really not sleep? I know the Archangels decided to sleep last night, why doesn't Cas?

"Morning, Angel." I grumble.

As I stand up, I can feel his glare boring into my back. He hates when I call him angel. I don't know why.

"Do you want to go downstairs and eat whatever Gabriel made for breakfast? You haven't eaten since yesterday, Human."

Oh, that's why. That's really weird. Wait… Gabriel made food? He was up later than I was! How could he have already gotten up? He normally only gets up an hour-ish before Ace wakes up naturally. And she can sleep for a good twelve hours if she's relaxed.

I glance at the clock. 10:30?! But I fell asleep at 12! I'm lucky if I can get six hours asleep, but ten? What is happening to our lives? We saved the world, blowing up dozens of factories in only a few hours, had non-diner food and got more than four hours of sleep. These angels are gifts sent from heaven!

I head downstairs, Cas right on my tail.

"Why do I smell blueberry pancakes?" I demand.

"Because that's what I made for breakfast?"

"Smells alright. I'll take five."

Ace gives me a look, but shrugs it off. After a few minutes, Lucifer, Michael, Super Ninangel, Sam, Ellen, Jo and Bobby come down the stairs. I guess the smell woke them up too.

"How are you two up already?" Satan asks, sitting down, "I would have figured you would be exhausted."

Ace looks at Gabriel.

"What did you do?"

Gabriel doesn't even say a word before she sends a fireball to his face. Why must they have Telepathic conversations?

"I don't know, but I do agree that they are annoying." Castiel answers.

What in the name of triple bacon burgers. Castiel notices my confusion.

"You didn't say that out loud?" He asks.

"Aw! They developed a Telepathic link! Isn't that so cute!" Gabriel coos.

"Don't change the subject!" Ace growls, like literally, growls. "You guys can help yourselves to the pancakes. I'm gonna go chew out this idiot."

With that, the two of them vanish.

"What was that about?" Sam asks the archangels.

"She told him to soundproof, he amplified." Michael explains bluntly.

Everyone here just lets the subject drop after that, feasting on the never ending stack of pancakes. How does that work?

"Replication spell. Gabriel will normally cook the first twelve or so like a human, then cast a spell on the plate to make it replicate whatever is on top." Cas explains.

"But he will materialize food when he is in a hurry, feels lazy or is trying to suck up to Candy." Devil finishes.

"Okay, so Castiel can hear my thoughts, that's his excuse. Why did you answer?" I ask.

"Just adding on to what he said!" Lucifer says, putting his hands up in defence, "I wasn't looking inside your head if that is what you are asking, I don't need to to know that you're thinking of beer, Castiel, cars and the fastest way to end the Leviathan Apocalypse."

"I mean, you're not wrong."

We stuff our faces, everyone making small talk. Ellen and Bobby discuss whether Jo should be allowed to hunt on her own. I'm wary. Sure, she's proved herself many times, but she's like my little sister… I'd probably be okay with it if we could find her a good partner, or better yet a team.

Sam is talking to the archangels about the Leviathan tablet and if they have had any luck finding it. Spoiler alert: they have not. I spent that time stuffing my face and questioning things.

If Cas can hear my thoughts now that I have accepted it, can I hear his? I honestly haven't noticed too many differences. Sure, I would rather be around him that way, and I can see this dark grey almost black wings, but nothing else really.

No super powers like Ace had said. Cas can hear my thoughts, can I hear his?

-I bet you could if you tried.-

Was that… did I just?

-Yes.-

Oh, well I guess I can hear Cas' thoughts thanks to the link.

A little while later, about two hours if I had to guess, Ace and annoying archangel number three come back. Man, she must have been pissed.

"No time to explain!" She shouts the moment they arrive. "Nat just called, I forgot that they have been hacked, the hacker is one of Roman's women. We need to leave now! Oh would you look at that, I guess there was time to explain."

Without another word, she grabs Sam and I and teleports us somewhere. Once we land, I grab the nearest trash can and try to settle my stomach before this gets ugly.

"Couldn't you have been a bit gentler with them?" Michael asks.

"Probably, but I'm in a hurry." Ace responds.

I sit up, glad that the nausea is gone. Looking around, I see that we are in some motel room. Not surprised.

"Can you explain in more detail now?" Sam asks.

"Right. As you know, I asked the avengers to keep an eye on Roman. They were able to hack into some of his servers. Well, now they are being hacked back. The hacker's signal came from around here, a woman that works for Roman by the name of Charlie Bradbury. We need to stop her before she tells Roman her findings. We don't need a miniature war: Avengers VS. Leviathans."

"Are you against saying his name?" Gabriel asks.

"No, his name is Richard Roman."

"Dick, dickity, dick, dick, dick." Lucifer starts.

"Don't you have a tablet to hunt down? And a heaven to run?" She asks all the angels in the room.

One by one, they each zap out. She has all of heaven wrapped around her finger. With her connections to Hell Hounds, she probably has most of Hell in her back pocket as well. I'm so glad she is on our side.

"So, where does Charlie live?" Sam asks.

Candace's POV:

Charlie Bradbury lives in a small apartment not too far from her office. Sam and Dean decided that our best course of action was to break into her apartment and wait for her. If she is a Leviathan, we'll cop off her head and transport it miles away from the rest of her, if she isn't, I'm sure she wouldn't be more than willing to help if we tell her the truth.

Eventually, she comes home.

"Hey, Pete, sorry I left without telling you. No, I just wasn't… feeling well. It's a lady thing. I will be in first thing. Got to go- cramps."

Judging by her words and smell, she is not a Leviathan. I've caught onto most of the Winchester hand signals. Their signal for 'human' is simply a thumbs up.

I decide that this whole 'waiting for her to make a move' thing is pointless.

"Troublesome day at the office?" I ask.

Is that a Nico di Angelo figurine? I didn't think they made those. I'll have to give a couple to Will.

She suddenly swings a plastic sword at me. I barely move my head, dodging the sword. This is when Sam and Dean come out of hiding.

"Hey, hey, hey! We're not going to hurt you!" Sam starts.

"Why did you have to scare her, Candace?" Dean asks me.

"Why did you decide to sneak into her house?" I return.

"Stay away from me you shape shifters!" Charlie screams.

She suddenly stops, taking another good look at my face.

"That's just not cool! Why do you have to take the form of one of the only female superheroes ever?" She asks, complaining.

I sigh. I forgot about my Avenger status.

"What do you know about the shapeshifters?" I ask.

She pauses.

"That cleaning solution is toxic to them…"

I take out the bottle of borax. I quickly splash the boys before they can complain. Then I drench my hand.

"Happy?"

She nods and slowly puts down her plastic weapon.

"Wait… are you really Candace Armina?!" Charlie asks, I can almost see the stars in her eyes.

"Yes, she is." Dean says, a smirk on his face.

I sigh.

"Yes, but I have more important things to discuss. You know that network Roman has been having you hack into?" I ask.

She nods, looking star struck. Why is she so happy to see _me_? I'm just the fire wielding wolf that has almost destroyed the world way too many times.

"Yeah, you were trying to hack the Avengers. We've been trying to take down Roman for awhile." I reveal.

"What-? Why-? What are they? Who am I working for?" She finally asks.

"Boys, you can handle the big speech. I'm craving quesadillas. I'm going to see if Gabe can get us some mexican tonight." I say, preparing to leave.

"Yeah, you go beg your boyfriend for food, we'll just destroy this girl's life." Dean says.

"Nice to know that's settled. Bring her to the motel once the panic attack has rolled over." I order.

"And learns who we keep as company, Lucy isn't the easiest angel to get used to." I add as an afterthought.

I then shadow travel out of the place, back to the motel. I want a quesadilla, but pasta sounds pretty good too.

"You're a hellhound! Your grandfather is Lucifer! You're dating Gabriel! Monsters are real!" Charlie goes on for another five minutes.

"I thought I said bring her here _after_ the initial freak out?" I ask.

I'm currently sitting at the motel dining room table, eating a shrimp platter that Gabe snapped up for me. He's currently searching for the Leviathan tablet.

"I'm not freaking out, I'm just excited! Who knew the world's second coolest heroine is that cool?" Charlie says.

"Who's the first?"

"Natasha Romanov, and if they were real, the third, fourth and fifth would be Hermione Granger, Princess Leia and Annabeth Chase."

I smirk.

"I can't do anything about Princess Leia, but I'll introduce you to Hermione and Annie one day. If I can get Mione out of hiding, Bethie is no problem though."

Cue still silence from the fan girl.

"They are real?!"

"Hey, if leviathan are real, magic is real, and hellhounds like yours truly are real, you shouldn't even be surprised anymore. For Hell's sake, you just received confirmation that Satan is real."

"You know I hate that name." Someone says from behind me.

"Speak of the devil…" I sigh.

Behind us, sitting on one of the beds, is Lucifer. Right beside him is his brother. The mature one.

"That's not nice." Gabriel says, appearing behind me.

"What-? When-? What-? Huh?" Charlie stutters.

"Angels like to teleport places, you get used to it." Dean explains.

The three angels just shrug. So let's do a headcount. Sam, Dean, Charlie and I are sitting at the table. Gabriel is standing behind me, playing with my hair. (Which I absolute love.) Then the apocalypse brothers are sitting on the beds. Goodie.

"I really hope you guys actually have a reason to be here other than to annoy us. We have a Leviathan apocalypse to stop and not much time."

With a snap, a metal case appears beside Lucifer.

"We aren't stupid, we got the tablet." Lucifer says.

"Really?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, It was dug out of one of Dick's dig sites. They used one of Trump's private planes to send it here. We replaced the case with a borax bomb." Gabe explains.

 _ **We should probably explain everything to Kevin Tran before we get the tablet out of its stone prison. The initial release is what 'activates' a prophet. The process will leave him weak or knocked out for a good day. It'll be easy for Leviathans to get to him that way.**_

"We should pro-"

"No need to repeat, I heard you, and I agree." I cut him off.

 _ **Shit, I forgot she can hear**_ _-_

"Your thoughts as easily as you can mine?" I finish.

 _Please stop thinking for a moment. Shouldn't be too hard for you._

"Okay. So, Mike, you're in charge of keeping the Tablet safe. Handcuff the thing to your arm if you have to." I order.

Mike disappears along with the tablet. I'm sure he'll show up later. I turn to Charlie.

"As you've probably figured out, Roman isn't going to be happy with you now that you know the truth. Do you have a place to go?" I ask.

"Not really, but I can figure something out in short notice." She admits.

"Or you can come to Avengers tower and live there?" I propose.

She is shocked into silence.

"Uh, are you sure Tony is going to be okay with that?" Sam asks.

I shrug.

"No clue. But I don't care if he isn't. What's the philanthropist going to do? Kick the homeless girl to the curb? Besides, he has more extra floors and empty suites than he knows what to do with."

"Are you… asking me to live, in a billionaire's tower, along with several superheroes?"

"Yes. Well, along with a couple Angels and a cambion."

"Count me in."

I smile.

"Very well. Gabriel, can I trust you-"

 _ **You can always trust me.**_

"-to help the boys explain the news to Kevin, _calmly_ and _patiently_?"

"No promises."

"I will burn off your wings if you traumatise another person today."

 _ **Would she real- shit, shit, yes she would, she totally would.**_

I lesson my glare and turn back to Charlie.

"Want to know what it's like to shadow travel?" I ask, holding out my hand.

"Like Nico di Angelo?"

"Exactly, I'll introduce you one day."

She grabs my hand. I force us to shadow travel to the Avengers Tower.


	46. Chapter 45

Charlie's POV:

So let's recap my day, shall we?

I figure out my boss isn't human, three people, including one of my celebrity crushes break into my house. They tell me that magic, dragons, Hermione, and Annabeth Chase are real. I learn one of my heroines isn't human, actually a hellhound that is not only bonded to the Archangel Gabriel, but Lucifer's granddaughter.

I was then told that I was going to be hunted down by unkillable monsters created to be the perfect beast by God. That's right, with a capital mother fucking 'G'. Then to protect me from those beasts, I would have to relocate myself. Which is fine, it's not the first time I've done it.

But then, Candace Armina, the magnificent, strong, independant woman that flirted with a woman shamelessly just to mock her and left Tony Stark, asked me to live with her and the rest of the Avengers. How could I say no?

I'm still shocked that she has the audacity to leave Tony Stark up and dry. After she disappeared for a couple months, he could be seen searching everywhere for her. Candace Armina is by no means camera shy, but I was one of the only ones to notice that she stopped appearing by Tony's side.

She disappeared and Tony started flying the Iron Man suit around the world ten times as often. After my computer alerted me that a thermal scan was occurring while he was flying over, it wasn't hard for me to put two and two together. Especially since I knew about her powers since the first time people started asking about his 'side kick'.

I wonder why she disappeared from his life for so long. They obviously get along just fine now, saving the world and living together again and all.

After I had grasped Candace's hand (Trying not to fangirl the entire time) I felt a weird tug in my stomach. The next second I was standing in the middle of a large living room. On the couches, all watching 'Christmas Story' are a group of faces I never thought I would see in person.

Part of me wonders why they are watching 'Christmas Story', as Christmas was a couple days ago. But that part of me is quickly silenced as I watch their faces.

There is Bruce Banner, AKA- The Hulk, calmly waving at Candace before going back to the movie. Steve Rogers, AKA- Captain America, smiles and nods, but doesn't say anything. Clint Barton, AKA- Hawkeye, actually ignores us. Tony Stark, AKA- Iron Man, is the only one to actually say anything.

"Bones!" He greets, jumping off the couch.

"I thought you had lost your nickname privileges?" Candace asks, tilting her head slightly in mock confusion.

Tony physically deflates.

"But- I thought you weren't mad at me anymore!" He whines.

Wow, he is childish sometimes, isn't he? This is why I prefer women.

"Individually, I love em, but as a group they are rather stupid aren't they?" Someone from behind me asks.

I slowly turn around. So, I know I was blushing when I was talking to Candace, my second favorite heroine in the world. How am I supposed to react when talking to my first? But, awesome and cool person that I am, decided my first sentence and impression to Natasha Romanov should be:

"Fuck! Did I say that out loud?"

Candace laughs.

"Yes, yes you did. But you insulted Tony, I'm sure everyone here is going to love you." Candace promises.

"Hey! I'm not fond of her now!" Tony shouts.

"But your opinion doesn't matter." Steve says, still watching the movie.

Holy crap! How many insults are you allowed to send to your friends and still be considered friends?!

"In this group of people? All of them." Candace answers my mental question.

"Did I say that one out loud too?"

"No, I've just recently learned telepathy and you're kinda shouting at me."

"I know I should have taught you how to turn that off." Another voice says.

This is just getting ridiculous. How many people are going to sneak up behind me or apparate out of this air?

"You're right, this one does think loudly."

This time, I'm actually looking at the person/angel as they say it. I think this one is Michael?

"Yes, this one is Michael. The blond one is Lucifer. The candy eating one is Gabriel. The African American, if you ever see him, is Raphael, the trench coat wearer is Castiel and my brother's name is Luca." Candace introduces.

Around Michael's wrist, the case with the Leviathan Tablet is actually handcuffed to him. I guess he takes her orders seriously. How did a Hellhound start ordering around Archangels?

"A spell and on-" Candace starts before she is cut off by Clint.

"Just let her read the book, it'll explain so much more and save time."

"I guess. And don't interrupt me." She says.

"Of course, your ma-"

Clint is cut off by Natasha slapping the back of his head, all the while he reaches for popcorn with the other hand.

"Yes, ma'am!"

I am going to love it here!

"So who is this girl? You kinda just popped up with one of the Angels and a random girl, then started explaining what life here was like." Steve asks.

"Oh, this is the one that used to work for Roman and kept trying to hack into the Avengers servers. Roman now has a price out for her head, so I've offered her a place here." Candace explains bluntly.

Tony's previous hatred of me disappears, replaced by… admiration?

" _You're_ the one that was able to get through three of my five firewalls?!"

"Uh… yeah?"

He suddenly grabs my arm and starts pulling me towards the elevator.

"I'm stealing her for a while. We're trading hacking secrets. Nat if you want to come, feel free." Tony says.

Natasha shrugs.

"Might as well, it's been awhile since I've taken on a protege in… anything really."

Did Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark just take me on as their hacking proteges?

"I call Romanov next! I want more hand to hand combat experience than the angels are willing to give me." Candace calls after us.

They pull me into the elevator and the doors close. What just happened?!

"You were just accepted by the team." Natasha says. "And no, you didn't say it out loud, you're just easy to read, sometimes. What's your name again?"

"Char-"

"No, your real name." Tony cuts off.

"I haven't used that name in awhile. Please, call me Charlie."

The two of them nod, not pushing any further.

"Ah… I know this is an odd time to mention it, but Candace is bringing some more people to the tower to live." I say.

Tony doesn't seem fazed.

"All her friends are awesome, I really don't care. I really hope those Demigod kids will come around. I've heard a bit about them through others, but I've never met them in person."

So, Nico di Angelo, Will, Jason and Percy really do exist?! She wasn't just pulling my leg? Oh, she is so bringing them over one day, even if I have to force her to!

If I could ever figure out how to force her to do anything. I'll just ask at first, then figure out where to go from there.

"Yeah, apparently it's some prophet capable of reading Tablets and the Word of God." I explain.

"I swear her life gets weirder every time she comes home." Tony mutters.

Home? He views her home, as one of his houses?

"You know she is dating Gabriel, right?"

"Oh, yeah! It's just weird without my roomie around." Tony explains.

Natasha has been standing still as a statue this whole time. I can't read her whatsoever. The door opens. Tony Stark's rumored J.A.R.V.I.S. announces our arrival.

"It's nice to meet you Jarvis!" I say, stepping out of the elevator.

"Likewise, Ms. Bradbury." The AI responds.

"Please, Charlie."

"Of, course."

"Hey, J. Would you mind setting up our latest tenet her room?"

"Of course. Charlie, do you have a particular theme you want your room to be?"

"Uh… could you combine Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars into a bedroom set?" I ask.

I mean, the AI did offer, I feel no guilt asking for exactly what I want.

"Your floor will be complete by Nine o'clock, Mr. Stark, Ms. Romanov, can you please keep Charlie occupied until her floor is finished?" The AI asks.

"What did you think we were going to do?" Tony asks the AI.

"Teach her how to hack." Jarvis responds.

During that entire conversation, we were walking down a long hallway. At the end of which, Tony opens the door to reveal a massive computer room.

"It looks like the bat cave console!" I say.

"He prefers the Stark cave, but yes, it does." Natasha says.

"So, let's get to work!"

Candace's POV:

"You're a hellhound?! You're Lucifer?! You're related?! Those are the avengers?! I'm a prophet?!"

Kevin Tran has been repeating these same things over and over again for the past several minutes. Note to self, don't trust Gabriel and the Winchesters with the speech anymore, they tend to fuck up. This is the second time today I've been yelled at like this.

Mrs. Tran, Kevin's mom, it quite calm. I know she has been told everything Kevin has, and believes it all, but she isn't panicking. I'm started to wonder if she knew all along. She is the mother of a prophet, I'm sure she's known to some extent that her son is special.

"I was not ready to factor the supernatural into my worldview!" Kevin says.

Steve, Clint and Bruce are all watching with a smile on their faces. I guess this is the exact same thing they went through, they just didn't let it show. Well, Steve just read the books, he had time to process. Versus having all the information DOWNLOADED INTO HIS HEAD BY AN ARCHANGEL!

I see Gabriel physically flinch back by my outburst.

 _ **She's mad. She's mad. She's mad. Just stay quiet. Stay quiet. Shut up. Maybe she'll calm down enough to not kill me in a little bit. Oh, please don't kill me.**_

"Gabriel?" I say, momentarily interrupting Kevin's panic attack.

"Yes?!" He squeaks.

He's overdoing it. I'm not that terrifying when angry. Well, to him anyway. He knows I would never actually hurt him, right?

 _ **Well, sorry that I don't like it when your angry! I'll aim to enjoy your rage.**_

There we go! There's the sarcasm and sass I know and love.

"Can you get us some food? I'm sure a nice meal would give Kevin time to process and formulate what questions he would like to ask." I say.

Within half a second, the entire dining room table on this floor has been covered in a full out Christmas Feast. It's almost comical how quickly the remaining Avengers completely abandon their movie.

"Jarvis, please tell the three downstairs that there is food. They can hack later." I ask the AI.

Kevin calms down enough to move to the table, immediately digging into the coca-cola marinated ham and steaks cooked to perfection.

"Nope, she doesn't have you on a leash at all!" Dean comments, sitting down at the table.

Gabriel glares, but ultimately keeps quiet.

 _You know, I'm not mad. Maybe I was expecting you to handle the situation a bit differently, but I'm mostly just annoyed. This is two panic attacks I've had to deal with today. While it's a nice change from preventing my own to stopping someone else's, I'm just in too irritable a mood to deal with two in one day._

Gabriel relaxes significantly. What was he expecting me to do? Disappear for two months?

 _ **Yes.**_

 _I am not physically capable of doing that. Not now that we are official. Before, yes, I might have decided to leave for a couple months to avoid murder._

After a couple moments, an ecstatic Tony, forever stoic Natasha, and pleased Charlie come to the table.

This is everyone that is going to be living at the tower? I feel like we are missing people. Thor, of course is gone. But that is just because he has another eight realms to keep peace in. Castiel and Raphael are in heaven, keeping it running smoothly. Who could it be?

"What is this? Your having a grand feast without me?!"

Oh, that's who we're missing.

"Good Afternoon, prince Luca."

"Good Afternoon, Queen Candace. Ugh, it even tastes weird!"

I turn around, smiling at my brother and my adopted cambion son.

"Nice to see you again, now sit, enjoy the food." I order.

"Yes, MOM!" Jesse says dramatically.

"Yes, your majesty!" Luca says.

"Is that any way to talk to your sister, and the alpha of your pack?" Lucifer asks, quite strictly.

"Wait… uh… Who are you?" Luca asks.

Oh, they haven't been introduced yet. I wonder how Luci is going to respond to this.

"Does it matter who I am?" Luci asks.

I wasn't expecting that response.

"She is the Alpha of the living portion of the pack, if you ever decide to spend time in Purgatory, that is the only time it would ever be acceptable for anyone to trump her authority!" Luci goes on.

 _How long are you going to mess with him?_

 **~Until he figures it out.~**

 _I don't want to be sitting here forever!_

"Wait, if He's Candace's brother, and he is-"

Charlie started to theorize before Natasha's hand appeared over her hand.

"Shhh, wait for him to put it together, this is entertaining." Nat hisses, almost low enough for me to not hear it.

Jesse has sat down beside me, digging in.

 _Is he always this slow to catch on?_

Jesse is hardly phased by the mental message. I guess he figured it out a bit ago, cambion powers and all. He subtly nods his head.

"Why do you care how I treat my sister?" Luca asks.

"Because my granddaughter deserves the respect she has worked so hard to earn!" Luci exclaims.

 _You gave up._

 **~No. I lost patience with an idiot.~**

 _Not much difference._

 **~In all seriousness, how is he my grandson?~**

 _I don't know. He's spent the past six millennia hiding in caves. It's not really that surprising he has the brainpower of a cave man._

"Wait… Granddaughter? Lucifer?"

"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! We have a winner." I say, gesturing to the empty chair, "Now sit down and eat."

We eat the wonderful meal and one by one, Avengers, Angels and Hackers disappear to their own part of the house. Lucifer even took Jesse to one of the training rooms to practice the cambion powers. I gave them the requirement that the multiverse has to be in the exact same state at the end of their training session as when they started.

Michael just went to the couch to sit in silence. It is a rarity nowadays that he is away from his brother. Gabriel remained right beside me, while the Winchesters went down to the shooting range. I don't know where the other Avenger's went, but I know those three are down stairs hacking again.

"So, have you calmed down about the whole thing?" I ask.

Kevin nods, obviously significantly calmer.

"Good, now, any questions?" I continue.

"A few." Mrs. Tran breaks in.

I guess that her questions need to be answered too, there is no way I'm breaking a minor and his mother up. I'm not _that_ evil.

 _ **HA!**_

 _Shush you._

"You brought us here because it is safe here, correct?"

"Yes. I am more than sure that the three archangels in this building have already, very meticulously, made this entire building a threat free zone from any supernatural beings other than those that have been deemed trustworthy." I promise.

I am the only one to hear the series of snaps Gabriel does under the table.

 _You forgot?_

 _ **Hush you!**_

"What do you want Kevin to do here?"

"There are many tablets, all of them filled to the brim with information. All of them written by the scribe of God, Metatron. But the words themselves, came directly from my great-grandfather's mouth. Kevin is the only one that can read the language though, unless we were to track down Metatron, who has been missing for centuries. We simply want him to translate the tablets. I believe it is a fair deal. A translation job in return for personal floors on the tower and food whenever you want. I'm sure if you just ask Jarvis, you can order anything, of any price from anywhere in the world."

"You're right. It is more than fair, coupled with 24/7 protection from practically everything. There is just one more thing I am concerned with…" Mrs. Tran says.

"And that is?"

"What about Kevin's education? He was on track for a glorious college. I understand that the tablets are more important than something so human as college, but there will be a point when he runs out of tablets to translate, what then?"

"That is no problem. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to keep him on his chosen educational path. What college was he going to?" I ask.

"We were applying for colleges, he hasn't been accepted for any yet." Mrs. Tran explained.

"Jarvis, could you pull up a face time with Tony?"

"I don't understand why you people insist on calling people within the same building as you. If you don't use your legs, you'll lose them. Oh, what I would give for some legs."

"Jarvis?"

"Right."

The screen pulls up, showing Tony, Charlie and Natasha all gathered around a computer screen.

"Yo, yo, yo, what time is it?" I yell at them.

"6:30, why did you call us for that?" Natasha asks.

"Show time…" Charlie and Tony mutter.

"Whatever, hey Tony-"

"Hello."

"How hard would it be to pay Stanford, or Yale or one of those top notch professors to tutor the Asian kid up here?" I ask.

"Not too hard. How often will we need them? Would video conferences work? I could just donate a whole bunch of equipment to the school. Which school?" Tony returns.

I glance at the Trans.

"Stanford would be wonderful." Kevin says, speaking up for the first time since Mrs. Tran started taking over.

"Okay. They will be receiving a donation of Stark equipment by the end of the week. Kevin can watch the lectures as they are being spoken to the rest of the class. He'll be enrolled by the start of the semester." Tony says.

He doesn't even say goodbye before turning off the feed and going back to whatever is it he was doing.

"Is that all of your questions?" I ask.

They both nod.

"Okay. Jarvis, what do you need to get their floors set up?"

"A theme for me to follow." He answers.

"Library feel." Kevin answers.

"Black and white with cherry blossom decor." Mrs. Tran says.

"Very well, your floors will be complete by the end of the day, until then, please help yourself to anything in the tower."

The Trans nod before standing up and beginning to make their way out the door.

"Wait!" Gabriel stops them. "We are planning on releasing the tablet from its stone encasing tonight. Kevin's powers will activate. Please remain sitting down when we start."

 _Did you have to scare the kid?_

 _ **It's best he knows what's going to happen. No prophets have ever reported their awakening to hurt.**_

"Okay. Call me when it's time for that. Until then, does Mr. Stark have a study or a library?" Kevin asks.

"If you get in the elevator, I could escort you there, Mr. Tran." Jarvis speaks up.

The two of them leave and go downstairs. Once they are gone, I decide to collapse on the sofa. Finally. Too much chaos for one day, Christmas was only two days ago! Let me sleep.

The next week goes without a fuss. When we released the tablet from its prison, Kevin took an hour long nap. Apart from that, we've had a normal week.

Kevin's worked on translating the tablet. Charlie and Natasha have been hacking away. Gabriel has played numerous pranks on the other members of the tower. (He is intelligent enough to not even dream of pranking me)

Tony and Bruce have been sciencing endlessly. Steve and Clint spend a lot of time either watching movies or in the gym.

Ms. Tran has become the 'mother' of the entire tower. She keeps yelling at Tony and Bruce for staying up for days at a time and not eating enough.

Luca, Jesse and Luci have been spending a lot of time playing with powers. I'm actually kinda worried about that.

The Winchesters leave at random times to go on a hunt they just found, but they spend a lot of time here.

Mike has just been making sure Luci doesn't accidentally set the tower on fire.

I'm mostly been doing whatever. Sometimes I'll watch Charlie and Natasha work, sometimes I'll help Tony, but I've mostly just been sleeping and eating. Not my usual routine, but really, when have I ever had a consistent routine?

"Ms. Armina, Tony requests your presence on floor 74." Jarvis informs.

"Lovely. Tell him I'll be there in a moment."

Instead of taking a normal method of transportation, like the stairs or the elevator, I shadow travel. I'm far too lazy for anything else.

"Oh, wow, that was fast."

"Alright. Candace, it has come to my attention that Rogers has not seen Star Wars. We need to fix that."

"OHMYGOD That means he doesn't know that Vader i-" Clint gets cut off by Natasha putting him in a choke hold.

"Spoilers will make Dr. Banner angry." She says quietly. It's true, Bruce is looking a bit green.

"Clint, just be quiet. Jarvis, please start Episode 4 of Star Wars for us."

"Of course."

"I'LL GO MAKE THE POPCORN!" Gabe shouts, running off to the kitchen.

"I'll go with you!"

"Yeah, no blowing anything up just yet."

"Honestly, I'd prefer nothing to be blown up at all."

"What she said."

When all's said and all is done, everyone piles into the living room and sits down on the couch, ready to enjoy the wonderful world of Star Wars.

EPISODE IV- A NEW HOPE- In which the Epic of Gilgamesh is reprised and revamped for a new generation.

After the movie ends, Steve tries to recap it.

"So, C3PO and R2-D2 are adorable, Han Solo and Chewy are cool. The Falcon is the fastest ship in the Galaxy. Everyone has a crush on Princess Leia. The Death Star can destroy planets, Luke's Father, Anakin was killed by Darth Vader and may the force be with you."

"You just successfully summarized most of Star Wars, congratulations." Tony says.

EPISODE V- EMPIRE STRIKES BACK- in which there are several plot twists and the phrase 'Han Solo'd' came about.

"I KNOW?! He said freakin I KNOW?! Was it to difficult to say 'I do too'? 'As do I'?!" Steve goes on a little rant, we all have to stop ourselves from laughing.

A couple minutes later.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He shouts. We just learned who Luke's father is.

"I really should have seen that coming but… WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"Gabriel, I love you!" I say dramatically.

"I know…"

EPISODE VI- RETURN OF THE JEDI- in which redemption is found, and in which an awesome battle emerges.

"Tony you are NOT going to make a functional lightsaber."

"Let me rephrase that, you are NOT going to make a functional lightsaber and not give one to me." I add.

"I'll try to get the light sabers done before June. I have a lot of projects right now."

"Luke is awesome in this one."

"Yup."

EPISODE I- THE PHANTOM MENACE- in which a race is won by sheer stupidity, and in which we are introduced to the angel Padme Amidala.

"Wait, that kid's name is Anakin, is this Vader's backstory?" Steve asks.

"Yes."

"So Anakin make C3PO?"

"Yes."

EPISODE II- ATTACK OF THE CLONES- a whole bunch of flirting between the two main characters and Anakin has a small bout of insanity.

"I- did he just kill everyone?"

"Yep."

"Wow."

EPISODE III- REVENGE OF THE SITH- in which Anakin loses all sense of who he was and Padme turns out to be pregnant.

"Did Anakin know she was pregnant?" Steve asks.

"I think so, but I don't think he knew it was twins."

"I don't think _Padme_ knew about the second parasite." I comment.

"Parasite?"

"They leach away half of your nutrients and decrease your mobility. The host doesn't benefit at all. That is the textbook definition of a parasite."

"I think that more closely resembles the definition of 'fetus', but hey, I could be wrong." Bruce says.

"Smartass."

"And that is the Star Wars Saga." I wrap up.

We spent quite a lot of time in this room. The only times we've left is to get more popcorn and for intermovie bathroom breaks.

"OH we should have a Harry Potter marathon now!" Charlie exclaims.

"You want to spend another 36 hours in this room?" Tony asks.

"I've read the books, I haven't seen the movies." Steve admits.

"See! We have to watch it!"

I look around the room. Somehow, everyone in here is still awake.

 _ **We're supplying them with energy.**_

 _Oh, cool._

"Sure, why not. The Harry Potter Saga actually happened."

HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE- in which a boy named Harry is destined to be a star.

"Fluffy is actually a bit bigger than that. Though he's a bit stupid to be my direct cousin."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, he's one of Uncle Cerberus' sons."

"Ooh, Quidditch! I'd love to play."

"I'll work on setting up a quidditch pitch."

"I'll talk to miss minister of magic about getting some brooms." I say.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS- in which Tom Riddle hides a snake in a secret chamber.

"Why are the villains always more attractive than the heros?" I ask.

"Tom was in his younger years, but he loses his nose which just ruins it." Charlie agrees.

"I mean, Draco is more attractive than Harry too. There is always a villain that looks better than the heros." I continue.

"Yeah right!" Tony interrupts. "If that is true, which one of our villains is better than us?"

"Loki." Natasha, Charlie and I all say in sync.

"Why, thanks for the compliment." Gabriel says.

"It applies to the females less often. I'd take Hermione or Ginny over Bellatrix any day." Charlie says.

"Same."

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRIZONER OF AZKABAN- in which we meet the Dementors and in which we meet Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

"Sirius and Remus totally dated in their Hogwarts years." Charlie says.

"Girl, fact check before you speak. They're still married."

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE- in which Harry gets put in the Triwizard Tournament, and Cedric dies.

Right before "DID YOU PUT CHA NAME IN THE THA GOBLET O FIYAAAA!?" Charlie grabs the remote.

"I'm skipping this scene and there is nothing you can do to stop me." She says.

"Who said we wanted to stop you?"

"I'm just gonna stay out of this."

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX- in which Umbridge arrives, kids break into the Ministry, and Sirius Black is as dead as can be.

"I hate Umbitch."

"I think we all want her dead more than we want Voldemort dead."

"SIRIUS NOOOOOOOOO!"

"BELLATRIX YOU BITCH HE'S YOUR COUSIN!"

"Bellatrix is insane anyway, it won't matter who she kills."

"Wait, does that mean Harry and Draco are…. god-cousins?"

"Don't try to understand. Everything's connected just leave it at that."

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE- in which Dumbledore is dead because SNAPE KILLED HIM. Jerkface.

"Dumbledore was a bit of an idiot, withholding all that important information UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE."

"No shit, Sherlock."

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS- in which a boy named Harry constantly conquered death, but in one final duel between good and bad he takes his final breath.

"Dumbledore in the Afterlife is still an idiot."

"Yeah. I mean, look at McGonagall, she's so much better. I like her better."

"Same."

"Hermione should have ended up with Harry, just saying." Charlie says.

"Honestly, I think Ginny and Hermione would have been best. Leaving Harry open for Draco to finally admit his feelings."

"What about Ron?"

"Lavender."

 _ **Can we stop now? The authors are getting tired of writing marathons.**_

"Hey guys, this was fun and all, but I'm really tired of movies." I say.

There are numerous nods, coming from even Charlie.

"Okay. The archangels have been supplying you with enough energy to remain conscious, you should be able to last until tonight without needing any sleep." I say.

"Why didn't they do that during the battle of New York?" Clint asks.

"We had our own problems to deal with." Lucifer answers.

After our long few days of Movies, we all go back to our own lives.


	47. Chapter 46

Over the next few days, people slowly start to leave the tower. The Winchesters found a hunt that would last a couple days, Steve and Natasha got some top secret assignment from Shield and Clint wanted to go back home, wherever that is.

Charlie has been reclusive, staying on her floor. I can't tell if she's upset or just being her own introverted self.

Kevin has dove into his studies and the tablet headfirst. Mrs. Tran has continued to be her motherly self to everyone in the tower.

Luca has gone back to exploring the world, but Jesse decided to stay here. The archangels pretty much do whatever.

And then there's me. I'm not sure what's going on, but I find myself eating a hell of a lot more than normal, but I'm also getting sick really easily. At first I just chalked it up to eating too much, but then I started getting a fever.

Gabe hasn't noticed, I've been careful with my thoughts so that he doesn't notice. I've found myself unusually tired and sore.

 _Gabriel, I'm going to go visit Nico and the rest of camp. Make sure they don't get themselves in trouble, would you?_

 _ **Sure. Can I expect you back later today?**_

 _Or early tomorrow. The girls might want to keep me overnight._

 _ **Okay.**_

I shadow travel to the medical wing of the Big house. I walk up to the nearest Apollo child.

"Do you know where Will is?" I ask.

"Yeah, he's probably in the Hades cabin." She says.

"Thank you!"

I dash out of the big house running straight past Percy and the rest of the Seven laughing by the dining pavilion.

I reach the Hades cabin quickly.

"Lord Hades, may I be granted access to your cabin?" I ask.

The door begins to creep open. I'll take that as a yes. I walk calmly inside, finding Will and Nico playing 'Modern Warfare'. I lean up against the wall.

"Hello, boys." I say, startling the both of them.

Nico looks pleasantly surprised, Will looks just plain terrified and shocked to his core.

"Not what you were expecting?" I ask.

"Nope. Why are you here?" Nico asks.

"I'm actually here to talk to your boyfriend."

"Let me guess, you're feeling sick, have no clue why and wanted to know if there was anything wrong?" Will asks.

"Uh, yeah…"

"Feeling nauseous, tired, sore, slight temperature and always hungry?" He continues to list.

"How do you know all this?" I ask.

"Apollo gift, I've never had to break news like this to someone so I'm going to take the blunt route. You're pregnant."

"WHAT?" Nico and I scream at the same time.

"With triplets. As far as I can tell, one angel, one hellhound and one hybrid."

"Son of a bitch…"

"Quite literally." Nico smirks.

"Well, thanks for the news. I'm gonna go tell Gabriel now. Can I trust that the entire camp will know by this time tomorrow?" I ask.

"Of course!" Someone says behind me.

Sure enough, the entire seven and their other halves are spying on us from the window. Great. They practically dive through the door, not even bothering with asking for permission from Hades.

"If you need any help planning the baby shower, please call us!" Hazel says.

"Do you kids even have cell phones?"

"IM." Annabeth deadpans.

Oh, right.

"Now shoo! Go tell Gabriel the happy news!" Piper orders.

I know I haven't been gone long, but I shadow travel back to the tower.

I land in the living room of my personal floor.

"Welcome back, Candace, you weren't gone for very long." Jarvis greets.

"No, I wasn't was I? Jarvis, would you mind telling Gabriel and Jesse to meet me here?" I ask the AI.

"Of course not, miss. They are on their way."

I sit down on the couch, take a couple deep breaths. I am aware that the gravity of this situation hasn't yet sunk in. It probably isn't going to for another couple days. For now it's just a word. Pregnancy.

I feel kinda bad for calling them parasites earlier… Wait, no I'm not. It is exactly what they are, but their lovable parasites.

Jesse arrives first. I figure that Gabriel is going to be a couple minutes. I didn't call him telepathically, so he's going to assume its not super serious.

"Jesse, can I have a serious conversation with you for a moment?" I ask, gesturing to the seat next to me.

"Sure."

He sits down next to me, waiting patiently for me to speak.

"How do you view me?" I ask.

"What?"

"How do you see me, what am I to you? Am I someone you care for, or just a random woman that showed up and told you the truth?" I elaborate.

"I guess… I see you as someone who understands, I can trust, and with time, I could call 'Mom'."

His answer brings a soft smile to my face. It's rare for a hound to take on a child that is not their own, even rarer for an Alpha, but I have pulled Jesse into my family.

"What about Luca?"

"He's kinda like the fun older brother."

"That seems about right. And Gabriel?" I urge.

"Crazy uncle." He deadpans.

"I'll take what I can get." Gabriel says, apparating in the middle of the room.

"Oh, good, you're here. You might wanna sit down." I say, pointing to my other side.

How do I say this? How do I say this? How do I say this?

"I'm getting nervous…"

Will took the blunt route, it worked okay. I guess I'll just say it flat out.

"I'm pregnant."

"WHAT?" Gabriel shouts.

"Seriously? That's awesome!" Jesse exclaims.

Jesse bounces up and down on the couch excitedly. Gabriel seems to have frozen in place completely. He's not breathing or blinking.

"You ok, Gabe?"

"Freaking out." He mutters.

"Don't blame you. It still hasn't sunk in entirely for me." I say.

Gabriel is still frozen in place.

 _ **I'm a father. I'm going to be a father. I don't know what to do. How the fuck are you supposed to parent?! I was okay with Jesse hanging around, but he's really independant, how the fuck am I supposed to handle a hellhound/archangel hybrid?!**_

"Oh, don't hounds have entire litters at a time?" Jesse asks.

 _ **MORE THAN ONE?!**_

"Do you know how many there are?" He asks.

"Will said three. One full angel, one hybrid and one hound." I answer, keeping an eye on Gabe.

 _ **THREE?! I was worried about an Angel/Hound hybrid, now I have to worry about a full angel and a hound?! I don't know how to raise kids, what the fuck am I supposed to do?!**_

 _Calm down. I do believe that would be the first step._

 _ **YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE SUDDENLY BOMBARDED WITH NEWS LIKE THIS!**_

 _Uh… Gabriel, I'm the mother._

 _ **CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE HAVING KIDS! I'M A FATHER! WHAT DO I DO? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PARENT!**_

I look at Jesse.

"Are you hearing any of this?" I ask, ignoring Gabriel's continued panic attack.

Gabriel still hasn't moved an inch, his brain is just spiraling out of control. I do hope he calms himself down before he hurts himself.

"Yeah, he's not exactly shielding his thoughts. Don't worry though, I'm blocking them so Lucifer and Michael don't know yet." Jesse says.

"Thank you, I don't need three panicking Archangels."

 _ **DAD HELP ME! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!**_

 _Did you just ask God for parenting advice?_

 _ **I'M PANICKING OKAY?!**_

It takes a good hour, but Gabriel finally calms down.

"You good?" I ask.

I have yet to go through my pregnancy freakout, it would be best if he was done with his before mine hit. That or I'm level headed and I won't have to worry about freaking out. I'm betting that it just hasn't sunk in yet.

"Yeah, I'm calm." He says.

Jesse didn't freak out at all. He actually looks excited.

"You said one of them was pure Hound and another one was a hybrid. Will they be born in their true form? And will the hybrid's true form be a hound or angel?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

"So, when are you going to tell the rest of the team?" Gabriel asks.

"Candace." Jarvis interrupts. "I do realize how terrible my timing is, but Mr. Rogers has requested your immediate presence at his current location. He has also asked that only one archangel, preferably Gabriel, would accompany you."

I sigh. I never get a break do I?

"Evidently, not right now." I answer Gabriel. "Tell Steve I'll be there momentarily."

"You're going to accept a mission?! But what abo-"

"Gabriel, I understand your concern and it's adorable, but I don't even have a baby bump yet. I'll be fine."

He hesitantly backs off.

"Jesse, please keep this a secret for now. And I'd appreciate it if you kept Luci busy. Knowing him, he'd probably try and get in on the action."

Jesse nods. Gabriel and I teleport to wherever Steve is. I trust Gabriel to have kept track of their general location. We land in some sort of underground bunker/cave. Looking around, there is a beat up Pirate in a hospital bed, Natasha, Hill, Steve, and some random dude I've never met.

"I guess the first thing to say is, Fury's alive." Natasha comments bluntly.

"Eyepatch died?"

"He faked his death a couple days ago…" Maria says, confused.

"No one at the tower, save the bodiless robot, ever reads the Shield newsletter." Gabe says, giving a unapologetic shrug.

"Anyway, I'm going to ignore the fact that they just appeared out of thin air. Do we have time to explain everything, or should I sum up?" The guy I've never met before asks.

"Candace, Gabriel, this is Sam. Sam, this is Candace and Gabriel, Candace is an Avenger, Gabriel is an honorary Avenger." Steve introduces.

"Let's just cut to the chase." Natasha says, almost interrupting Steve. "Steve's best friend from the 20th century turned out to be alive, brainwashed, and now working for Hydra. Hydra has completely infiltrated Shield and has been there for years. The new helicarriers are going to be up and running tomorrow. Hydra is going to use them to kill anyone that stands against them based on an algorithm of probability. Did I leave anything out?"

"Yes. Why did you call us?" I ask.

"We'll be handling the helicarriers, we already have a plan to take them down. I want you to get Bucky out of there. Take him back to the tower, work on fixing whatever Hydra did to his mind." Steve says.

Sounds simple enough. The archangels are going to be doing the hard part, I just have to get the brainwashed soldier there.

 _ **He's also been given a serum similar to Steve's super soldier serum.**_

 _And you know this because?_

 _ **Steve's practically shouting it mentally.**_

"Okay. We'll handle the old guy from way back when, can we expect you back at the tower anytime soon?" I ask.

"Within the next week. Fury's probably going to go in hiding, Maria is…"

"Going to start working at the tower, I'm sure you could use a help keeping all of the people at the tower from destroying the place."

Sounds like everyone has a plan.

Well, the new and improved helicarriers have been launched. Apparently they're all death machines. Lovely. Bet you five bucks that I'm among those first targeted. The plan was to put a data card in the main control center of each helicarrier, and the first two went down without a hitch.

Well, it's gonna a bit more difficult. The Winter Soldier guards the control center, and to place the data card we'd have to go through him. I would prefer that we not kill Steve's friend, but using some form of teleportation or obliviation might just freak him out. Or burn him up. Neither is a good option. Looks like we're doing this the old-fashioned way, Hand-To-Hand combat.

Gabe and I teleport into the control center, or as close as we can get to it. Which just so happens to be the catwalk leading up to the main panel. How ominous.

The Soldier stands maybe 4 meters away from us, one hand on his knives. If he's surprised to see us suddenly appear in front of him, he doesn't show it.

"You're not my mission." He says.

"Yeah, well we're not leaving."

I guess that's as good a time as any to charge forward, lighting up my hand with fire and lunging toward the Winter Soldier. He merely sidesteps and throws a small knife into my back as I pass.

It's not Iron, rather Steel, so it just bounces off my skin. I put more effort into my attacks, heating up the air around this metal arm he has and slowly frying the electronics. Bucky has a brief look of surprise on his face, he throws another knife at me, receiving the same response.

He growls under his breath, I guess he isn't used to steel proof targets. He pulls out another throwing knife and this time aims toward Gabriel. I'm betting he wants to know if Gabriel is steel proof as well. I know it won't hurt _him_ but it will hurt his vessel, making him feel the pain. I melt the knife before it can reach the halfway mark.

Through a series of maneuvers, I manage to get in close to the Winter Soldier. I deliver a swift punch to the back of his head.

No effect. I don't even think he noticed.

"Okay, I give up. What's the fucking shutdown code?"

 _ **Sputnik!**_

"Sputnik!" I shout, watching the Soldier collapse on the ground. "Get the data card from Rogers, we need to get out of here now!"

Gabriel flashes out, reappearing in half a second with the data card. He places the data card in the machine. He grabs James Buchanan Barnes and hoists him over his shoulder.

"Ready to go back to the tower?" Gabriel asks, not even phased by the grown man on his shoulder.

"Not at all." I confess.

"Uh… I'm confused." Gabriel admits.

"Going back to the tower means I have to tell the team I'm pregnant with triplets. It was near impossible to spit it out with you and Jesse, how in the world am I supposed to tell the rest of the team?" I ask, rhetorically.

"Not over comns." Natasha interrupts through the comn in my ear. "That's my advice."

"Sonovabitch!" I curse.

"Literally." Gabe comments.

"Congratulations by the way." Sam says.

"Can someone explain to me why she was cleared for field work?" Steve interrupts.

"Can someone explain to me why you morons are still on that boat?" Nick asks over Steve. "You have ten seconds before it goes kaboom."

"I'm out!"

I shadow travel to my living room on the tower, quickly removing my earpiece before Steve can yell at me. I lounge on the couch, wondering which person/angel is going to be the most protective due to the parasites.

"You really should stop calling them parasites." Gabriel comments. "It makes you sound like you don't care for them at all."

He is sitting on the other couch, a passed out Winter Soldier on the recliner.

"They are leeching away my blood and nutrients, what am I supposed to call them? Vampires?"

"You could, I don't know, name them?"

I sit in silence for a minute.

"What happened to all that motherly instinct? Jesse practically worships you behind your back." Gabriel asks.

"Jesse isn't my own. I wasn't looking at him like he was a child, I saw someone that was panicking that needed someone to explain, so I explained. I saw someone who needed someone to understand what they were saying, so I listened."

"Then why can't you view Thing 1 and Thing 2, along with underrated Thing 3 as people?" Gabe continues to push.

"Because they're not! They're children! What if I manage to get them killed?"

"I don-"

"What if I teach them the wrong moral lesson and they turn out evil? What if I raise them badly?"

"Cand-"

"What if I completely fuck up? What if they don't like me?"

"Hon-"

"What if Lilith comes back from the dead and takes them away from me?"

"That's just red-"

"Are we supposed to send them to a moral school? What if whatever name we give them get's them picked on? What if-"

"Candace!" Gabriel shouts.

"What?" I ask, taking a couple deep breaths.

"What if absolutely nothing goes wrong and you're a perfect mother?" He asks.

"Have you met me? When does anything I do go according to plan?"

"Every single morning, when you get up, and plan on being amazing." He says.

I take a few breaths. I guess there's my freak out. I knew it was coming eventually. After a couple more minutes, I'm completely calm.

"Okay, I'm good now."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." I confirm. "We should probably deal with the unconscious, brainwashed super soldier from the forties."

"Right."

We work together to get Bucky laid out onto the couch. A much more comfortable place than half on half off the recliner. I think Gabe literally dropped him right there.

"Jarvis, can you call Luci and Michael down here?" I ask.

"Of course. They will arrive momentarily."

In a couple seconds, the two of them flash into the room.

"First Jesse and Gabe, now us? I swear if you're calling us down in pairs to tell us that someone is dead or pregnant, I'm going to murder you." Luci comments jokingly.

"Murder me later, I kinda need your help right now." I shoot back.

"Wait, what?"

"James Buchanan Barnes, a WWII vet that's best friends with Steve. He's been brainwashed, I want you to undo the brainwashing." I explain.

Michael gets to work, along with Gabriel. Lucifer does not.

"Dead or pregnant?!" Luci asks, urgently.

"Triplets, we'll discuss later, right now, let's make sure the brainwashed murderer/assassin doesn't wake up before he remembers a little thing called morals." I say.

"What?! Ca-"

"Lucifer, fix Bucky's brain." I order.

For the first time since that first day, I actually ordered him to do something. The three of them get to work, dividing the work making it go by that much quicker. Lucifer works on removing personality quirks that he may have developed, Michael and Gabriel work on undoing all of the brain wipes. After a couple hours, Steve makes his way back to the tower and starts hovering around them.

"I can't tell if they are making any progress or not." Steve 'whispers' to me.

I guess, to most people, it just looks like the Archangels decided to take a nap on the sofas. I can barely tell what is going on myself.

"They are, just remember, seventy years, it's a feat that they are going to finish within the next hour or so." I respond, not bothering with whispering.

"Shouldn't we be quiet?" He inquires.

"They aren't going to care, I doubt they even notice that we're talking." I answer.

As I predicted, the Archangels 'wake up' in the next hour.

"There we go, good as new." Gabriel says.

"We didn't know if he should keep his memories from over the past seventy years, so we just dulled them a bit. He still knows everything, but the picture isn't vivid or burned into his conscience like they would be. If he wants them completely removed, we can do that later." Mike explains.

"I also went ahead and gave him the knowledge about heaven and hell, we've explained that too many times this century." Luci adds.

I nod, we really have. I know I got a little upset with Gabe for doing the same thing, but it really is an easier way of going about it. They're going to have a small little panic attack either way. I wonder how bad Bucky's will be.

"So," Lucifer drawls out. "Triplets?"


	48. Chapter 47

The next couple hours are spent delivering the news to everyone in the tower. Mike took it fabulously, it kinda just rolling off his back. Luci ended up cursing Gabriel with some choice enochian phrases that I am not quite comfortable repeating. It was bad.

Steve ended up yelling at Gabe for letting me come along to help with Bucky. Natasha was the only one to ask if we knew had any clue what we were going to name them. We don't.

Bruce asked for a way to contact Will. Apparently, next week he is receiving a crash course in Hellhound/Angel pregnancy. I have no clue which one applies here. Maybe both applies?

Mrs Tran was very happy for me. She may not know me as well as the others but was still quite supportive. Kevin just wasn't surprised at all. Almost like he saw this coming?

Clint... With him being the only one knowing what it's like to have a pregnant woman around, and what to do when something happens, he's going to be my biggest ally. And Gabe's biggest rival.

When Dean learned of the triplets, he just sat down, put his head in his hands, and sighed.

"Great, now I have to deal with MORE SUPERNATURAL BEINGS."

Sam was a bit more supportive than that, immediately researching baby names. I specifically requested that we not name a child after Her. He agreed.

And Tony? Well… I'm not sure whether he was shocked, happy, or a little upset. Probably all of the above. He just noped out of the room, probably to work on baby proofing the whole tower.

Pepper was happy for me, telling me we could go shopping for baby clothes and supplies. I accepted- I have no idea what I'll need!

Charlie fangirled… there is no other way to say that.

"Oh my god! You're pregnant! There's going to be little baby Candaces darting around! With angel genes?! Can you imagine tiny puppies flapping around?"

The then proceeded to calm down and apologize profusely for her outburst.

"Right, I'm rambling, you're superheroes. Why would superheroes want to listen to me ramble. And I'm still rambling."

"No, don't stop. It's a welcome change to all these guys being pure business." Nat says.

And, of course, everyone yelled at Gabriel for completely freaking out when he should have been helping.

Gabriel just continued to freak out.

Over the next few days, everything started to calm down. After the fourth day, Bucky woke up. We opted to let Steve talk to him first, mostly because he actually knew Bucky. The rest of us have just been downloaded into his head. While it's wrong, I can't help but admit the usefulness of sharing information that way.

"Morning, Buck." Steve greets, standing by the door.

I feel like a creeper watching their conversation through Jarvis. No one else seems to really care. Steve knows we're watching, so I guess it's not that bad.

"Seventy years…" James Buchanan Barnes mutters, sitting up in his bed. "And all you can think of to say is 'Morning, Buck'? Seriously, Stevie?"

"Call me old fashioned." Steve says, shrugging.

"Or just plain old."

"Believe it or not, there are people in this tower older than me." Steve comments.

"Right… angels, demons and hellhounds."

"Oh my."

"I take it, I have them to thank for my memories?" Bucky asks.

Steve nods.

"Believe it or not, they are all quite nice."

"Including the devil?"

"He prefers Lucifer, but yes, including satan."

"Now that just hurt my feelings!" Luci mutters, standing beside me.

"So when am I meeting everyone? I don't exactly trust the information that was downloaded into my head." He says.

"I think we should start with Candace. She introduced me to this new world, and she's the sanest one of the bunch." Steve admits.

"The pregnant hellhound?"

"Just accept that nothing makes any sense anymore. You get used to the crazy eventually."

"Alright… So. What did I miss?"

And the next week or so is used up by filling Bucky in on everything he missed in the past 70 years. It's mostly a repeat of all the movie marathons, mini concerts, and read-a-thons from the past year or so. Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek, Disney everything. The triplets are starting to show, but you can't really see it through my clothes.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Gabriel says to all of us. "Listen up! I gathered some movies from an alternate universe. You are now required to watch all of them."

"Did you call all of us in here for another movie marathon?" I ask.

"Yes! They released Season Six and part of season seven of supernatural. And I want them to watch the Marvel movies."

"You want to show them how different the world would be if I never existed?" I ask.

"Basically."

"So… you're going to show them our lives on video format?" Dean asks.

"Yeah."

Before anyone can object, the first episode of supernatural is already in.

SEASON ONE: In which they can't find John.

"Why is your hair so short?" Tony asks.

"Don't worry about that, why hasn't Dean aged?" Natasha asks.

SEASON TWO: In which our first main character death takes place.

"You sold your soul for Sam?"

"Yes."

"Oh, hey look, it's me!" Gabe announces.

SEASON THREE: In which my old mistress shows up and Ruby begins her manipulations.

"Oh hey! It's me again!" Gabe says.

"Did you just like messing with people?" Clint asks.

"Still do honestly."

"Oh… Lilith is kinda creepy." Tony admits.

"KINDA?!" I scream. "Fuck this~ I am OUT."

Bucky, whom I was sitting next to, pulls me back onto the couch.

"You're making all of us watch this, you have to participate."

"Actually it's Gabe."

"Does it sound like I care?"

LAST EPISODE OF SEASON THREE: In which a Hell hound that is not me kills Dean.

"This is where I'm supposed to come in, but I never do."

"I don't think this captured how terrifying you and your siblings actually are." Dean commented.

"We cause people to hallucinate their worst fear, we aren't cuddly."

SEASON FOUR: Enter Cassy and Bye Bye Lilly!

"So… Angels are dicks." Bucky says.

"Language." Steve says.

"Suck a cock!" Bucky shouts.

"Been there, done that."

"I thought we were keeping that between us?"

"On a more important note," Natasha interrupts, "Sam drank demon blood?"

"Yeah, we've weaned him off using mine." I comment.

"Which almost killed you." Luci reminds.

"Everything's almost killed me."

SEASON FIVE: In which Luci makes his grand appearance.

"So, Fergus gave you the gun?" Luci asks.

"Yeah. Where did it go anyway?" I ask.

"I put it in an alt universe. It's right next to the Stag tablet." Gabriel answers.

"Wait, wait, wait. If we hadn't listened to your advice, if we had gone after Lucifer right then, Ellen and Jo would have been blown up?" Dean asks.

"Gabe just died?!" Charlie screams, confused.

"I'm 99.99% certain he comes back before they stop filming these." I comment.

"Seems that way."

"Wait, wait, wait. If you hadn't gone behind our backs, Lucifer, Michael, Adam and myself would've fallen into hell?" Sam asks.

"Yup."

"Personally, I think being bound is better than that result." Michael says.

"Yup, and Adam is living peacefully in his own private heaven." Gabe comments.

SEASON SIX: In which Sam goes a bit nuts and Dean was happy for a brief moment.

"We got to skip more than half of this…" Dean notes.

"You have Candace and lazy authors to thank for that." Gabe says.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"So, Raphael was supposed to die? That's weird, I currently have him as Castiel's right hand to rebuild heaven the way it should be." I comment.

SEASON SEVEN: In which Dick wreaks havoc and Sam truly went crazy.

"Luci, was it truly necessary to torture Sam's soul to that extent?" I ask.

"I must have been bored."

"This is completely different, Sam never went to hell, so his soul was never tortured, so Cas never goes nutty in order to fix him." Dean comments.

"Oh look! It's me!" Charlie says.

"...Dean is coaching a Lesbian on how to flirt with a guy." Steve says bluntly.

"Who's Scarlet Johansson?" Natasha asks.

Gabe just smiles.

"Oh look, Kevin came in." Bruce notes.

"Where is he anyway?"

"Working on the tablet."

"Does it seriously cut off here? We can't watch any further?" Dean asks.

"Not unless you want me to risk altering the timeline." Gabe says.

"Let's just watch the avengers now." I say.

"Okay, if we do it chronologically, Captain America, the first Avenger is first." Gabe says.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER: In which Steve goes from skinny to massive and Bucky 'dies'.

"Wait, pause!" I say, grabbing the remote. "How many heart conditions are on that paper?"

"A couple." Steve admits. "The only thing that ever caused me too many problems was the Asthma.

"Barnes, how many times did you have to take care of him?"

"Too many."

"Did you really get beat up behind every corner?" Tony asks.

"Yup." Bucky says. "It's become a habit for me to look down every single alley to make sure he isn't back there."

"Fonduing?" Tony asks.

"Shut up." Steve mutters.

IRON MAN: In which not much really changes.

"Oh, so I didn't even need your help to escape." Tony comments.

"Don't look at me, Gabe was the one that teleported me there." I say.

"Sorry I didn't have any faith in the man that had never had to do anything in his life." Gabe mutters.

IRON MAN II: Again, not much really changes.

"Seriously, your existence has changed virtually nothing about my story." Tony notes.

"Noted." I growl.

THOR: In which Loki learns the horrible truth.

"Wait, Thor was the one that kept starting wars and Loki was trying to avoid them? That feels backwards." Bucky notes.

"Oh… That makes more sense." He says, once Loki learns of his adoption.

AVENGERS: in which my presence saved hundreds of lives and a lot of money in property damage.

"Why does Loki look worse when he arrives than when we sent him back?"

"He was tortured by Thanos and being controlled by the scepter so that he would attack midgard." Gabe explains.

"Wait… what?"

"Why else do you think he gave up so easily?"

"HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE KILLED?"

"Lots. Our involvement saved all of them. You're welcome." Lucifer says.

About five minutes later, we notice the end credits.

"Wait, Scarlet Johansson is the actress that plays me?" Natasha asks.

IRON MAN III: In which Tony Stark gives a whole bunch of tech to a kid. Good job Tony.

"Still not that much changed. You're still a complete idiot for threatening a fucking TERRORIST."

"He would have done it no matter what."

"I'm more impressed that he upgraded a flip phone to a smartphone just by being within three feet of it."

"Wow, do I actually have magic?"

"No."

"Dear lord I hope not." Gabe mutters.

"Don't bring Father into this."

THOR: THE DARK WORLD: In which the world is nearly destroyed, again.

"FRIGGA DIED?!" I scream.

"No she didn't." Someone says.

"Hey Luca, when did you get here?" I ask.

"A couple minutes ago, got lost in the movie. But this isn't accurate. During my exploration around the realms, I decided to visit Geri and Freki. I happened to get there right as the pale elf started invading. I used one of your poker chips to save Frigga- thanks for letting me have that, by the way."

"But I didn't le-"

"After that, I'm not sure what happened, but I'm pretty sure Loki died."

"No he didn't" Gabe says.

We had planned on watching the last movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but we decided not to. _**Not really, the authors just wanted to sleep.**_ _I keep forgetting there's a fourth wall._

For the next week or so, we continue with our lives. Gabe and I finally realized we need to give the triplets names. Otherwise, I'd just keep calling them 'the parasites'.

"Lotus." Gabriel demands instantly.

"What?"

"You can name the other two! I just want the pure Hound to be named Lotus! My little fire flower!"

"What if it's a boy?"

"Loti."

I think about it for a moment.

 _ **There is no reason for you to think on it, that is their name! Now name the other two.**_

"I don't get an opinion about Lotus do I?"

"You can have an opinion about the name, it's just not going to change it."

 _At least it's not 'Hot Dog'._

"The beta wants to name one Alexander." Gabriel says suddenly.

"And what? The author wants to name the third one Eliza?" I ask coldly.

"Nope, she wants it to be named Elise. Close though."

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CAN I PLEASE NAME MY OWN CHILD?!"

"Oh hey! You finally stopped calling them parasites. And please don't bring father into this."

"Why not?" A familiar voice from behind us questions. The air in the room changes completely, bringing in an atmosphere that is completely indescribable. I turn around slowly. There, standing quite laid back, is Chuck.

"I'd like to be aware of the naming of my grandkids… or is that great great grandkids?"

The both of us freeze. Chuck is God. Chuck is standing in front of me. God is standing in front of me. Chuck is in my living room. God is standing in my livingroom. Chuck was God the whole time. Did I preach free will to God?

 _ **Yeah.**_

Gabriel stood up slowly. He starts making his way out of the room. He only stops for a second to turn to his father.

"Six billion years… We've been praying for you for six billion years. Then you show up to name a couple of hell spawned winged mutts. Nice to know where your priorities lie."

Then Gabriel disappears. I know exactly where he went, he's raiding Tony's liquor cabinet.

 _That's good. Just leave me with the relatives!_

 _ **Please… just leave me for a little bit.**_

 _Lucifer?_

 **~What's up?~**

 _Keep him out of trouble while I deal with your father, and tell Michael about the visitor._

 **~Fa- Yeah. I'm going to stay with Gabe until I no longer want to punch something.~**

"You keep them in line better than I ever did." Chuck says, interrupting the mental conversation.

"Maybe it's because I'm around."

"Or maybe it's because you can relate. I can understand, but not relate. One speaks louder than the other."

"Why are you here?" I interrupt, changing the subject.

Wow, I have so much respect for the creator of the universe.

"With those three, marks a new generation of angels. A new species really. I figured, it'd be as good a time as any to try and make up for my disappearance."

"Then why are you talking to me? Start by making it up with the three knuckleheads drinking away their problems." I advise.

"I just wanted to discuss that last name. If little girl Lotus is the Hellhound, Alex is the Angel, then you still have to name the mixed one. What do you want to name her?"

"Her? Well, I've always like Alexis and Alison. How about Ally?"

"The celtic name for harmony. The harmony between the fires and the angels. It's beautiful."

"Yeah, yeah. Now go talk to Gabe, Luci and Mike before they're too drunk to recognize a watermelon from the hulk."

With that, Chuck disappears. Can I have a normal day? I want a bacon cheeseburger and a nap. A familiar pop sounds through the air and a cheeseburger lands on the coffee table. At least Gabriel isn't too drunk yet.

I eat the burger then relax on the couch.

 _You're in charge of introducing his lordship to the rest of the tower._

After that, I was lost to a magnificent nap.


	49. Chapter 48

Gabriel's POV:

So let's recap. My mate is pregnant with triplet angel hounds. I'm living in a tower with Microphallus, Eagle, Spider, some kid in advanced placement, the super mom, my annoying brothers, the big green giant and a hawk. Then, to top it all off! My father, whom I haven't seen seen since Luci was put in time out, shows up for the sole purpose of naming my children!

But hey! There's an upside, Dad told us how to stop the Leviathan! I don't see why he couldn't just put them all back in their place himself. What's with gods being lazy?

Currently, we're all trying to convince Candace to stay home against this suicide mission to kill Dick. So there, the readers are all caught up.

"I'm coming along." Candace says stubbornly.

"You're also pregnant, so no, you're not coming along." I repeat for what seems like the fifteen millionth time.

"You need me there!" She sings.

"No we don't. We need you here, safe. Take this apocalypse off. I'm sure there will be several more after the triplets turn two seconds old."

"How are you going to be able to tell them apart? Roman knows we have the tablet. He's going to make every single one of them look the exact same so that we won't be able to tell them apart. I know Roman's soul's signature very well."

"She got you there bud." Luci says from his spot on the couch.

"Argh...Fine! But you better not get killed!"

So there we went. Candace, being the reckless idiot she is, walked straight up to Roman and stabbed him in the head. We really need to start reading the tablets all the way through. It sent everyone within five feet of Roman to purgatory. As in, Dean, Castiel and Candace all got sent to purgatory.

Skip ahead four months, a war against a Stark-and-Banner-created robot, three new members added to the avengers (now Jarvis is out of the AI system thingy, and we got twins. He's fast and she's weird.) and using the last poker chip to save Flash copycat, Candace finally comes back from purgatory.

"You're late." I grumbled, glaring as the six of them fall out of purgatory. Wait, six? I count again. Cas, Dean, Candace, one tiny wolf, a tiny winged wolf and a tiny angel.

"Sorry, who knew giving birth to triplets made you bedridden for a couple days?" Candace sassed.

"YOU GAVE BIRTH TO THE TRIPLETS IN PURGATORY?!"

"Yes. Now can you zap us back to the tower." Candace asked. I snap my fingers, landing all seven of us in the tower minus the dirt and grime of purgatory.

"Which one's named which?" I ask, looking starry eyed at the three little munchkins. My anger completely gone.

"This one's Elise." Candace introduced, showing me the tiny angel. I couldn't really tell much about her face. She looks about two weeks old. She'll probably be 'teenage' in a couple months, then she'll slow down significantly. She'll be fully grown in three years.

The two little wolf cubs were already up and wrestling. They'll be fully grown in maybe a year. Gotta love supernatural growing speed. Once they reach 25 maturity/appearance they just freeze there forever.

"The winged one is Alexander. The non winged one is Lotus."

Now, the tower is crazy on most days. So many magical creatures live here along with superpowered humans, it's inevitable. Add in three tiny gremlins? I'm surprised New York didn't burn down.

Elise and Alex never got along. The moment they could talk, they were arguing. Lotus got stuck as peacemaker. It's only good luck that Lotus was the one that ages the quickest. Charlie and Natasha (whom have become a couple) fawned over the triplets. Sometimes I felt like Nat took care of them more often than Candace. Candace had freaked out when I told her of the robot apocalypse.

"YOU TWO CREATED A HOMICIDAL ROBOT?! AND WHAT DID YOU DO TO JARVIS?! I LIKED THE SASSY AI! -NO DON'T TRY TO CONSOLE ME WITH FRIDAY! SHE ISN'T THE SAME!"

She calmed down slightly when I told her there were zero lives lost thanks to the angels. Sam had stayed in the tower for all that time. Just patiently waiting for when his brother would return with Candace.

Kevin had discovered trials to close the gates of hell forever while they were gone. We all voted not to tell them, as the spell kills the caster. It's powerful enough that even Candace wouldn't be able to reform.

After a couple more months (Mini me and tiny candace's had grown to preteen size) the government tried to convince the Avengers and all of us angels to agree to their human laws. Can't interfere in a situation unless we got permission from a whole bunch of countries.

I sometimes forget that Candace has such a way with words.

"What is the purpose of these contracts?"

"To save lives."

"Not a single person has died during an Avenger involved incident. Things are working quite well without the accords."

"The hulk coul-"

"He hasn't since the team formed."

"The members of this team have the power equivalent to nuclear bombs!"

"But they aren't bombs, they're people. Or are you saying that they aren't human and don't deserve the same basic rights?"

"Some of them aren't humans!"

"So they don't have to follow human laws."

"You know, the only thing I'm getting from all this, Ross, is that you really don't want the Hulk to go free. Understandable. But getting the entire fascist government of America behind it? Not ok."

"Now see here-"

"From what I can tell, this contract is for the sole purpose of removing the rights of earth's inhabitants. There have been no negative consequences of this team, all property damage has been paid by Mr. Stark. These accords are pointless, and there is no reason for the Avengers, or the supernatural beings to sign them, nor agree to your ultimatum." Candace finishes.

At what point do I get to flip him off?

 _Any time you want. What's he going to do?_

 **~I've been playing gay porn in his head the whole time.~**

 _ **How is that useful?**_

 **~It's not. That's why.~**

Ross stomped out. Suddenly, Candace get's a call. She puts it on speaker so all the Avengers can hear.

"What's up Sam?"

"Uh.. well…"

"Spit it out."

"A demon named Abbadon came through the closet with our great grandfather. In order to kill her Crowley helped Dean get the mark of Cain and now Dean is going crazy and I don't know what to do."

"OH FOR FUCKSAKE CAN I GET FIVE MINUTES OF PEACE AND QUIET?"

"Nope. This cycle will continue for eternity. But the authors have decided to stop writing the narrative if that's any consolations.

"Please stop breaking the nonexistent fourth wall."

"Sure. It actually doesn't exist after….3….2….1"

 **THE END.**


	50. Author's note

I know that Fanfiction. net does not necessarily like Author's notes on stories so if someone makes a fit I'll remove it.

I would like to apologize to the few people who I promised a sequel of this to. In the past nine months I have completely abandoned any form of writing all together. I know I had several documents of things (started stories, the first few chapters to this sequel) but they all got deleted for one reason or another. If I can remember the premise around it I will attempt to write the sequel to this I had planned, but I sincerely doubt it will by any good with how out of practice my writing currently is.

Again, I am sorry for all of the empty promises some readers received.


End file.
